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Chapter 1: What are the key events from 2024?
Now, not to completely bum you out, as they used to say back in the day, but let's do a quick recap of the year. A third year of the Ukraine conflict, imposed on the world by Vladimir Putin's vainglorious vision of reconstituting the Soviet Union in some fashion. There was that.
Chapter 2: How did the Ukraine conflict evolve in 2024?
And then the Middle East, of course, in conflict, thanks to the Iranian regime and its Revolutionary Guard Corps with their ring of proxy puppets, all sharing a vision of the destruction of Israel. Then, of course, the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria after 50 plus years of a brutal family dynasty propped up, of course, by Moscow and Iran.
Chapter 3: What were the major conflicts in the Middle East during 2024?
Then there was increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait as Xi Jinping's China, repeatedly demonstrated their ability to surround Taiwan during a series of increasingly large military exercises. And let's not forget Kim Jong-un in North Korea, with North Korea sending thousands of their soldiers to die on the battlefields of Ukraine in exchange for cash, oil, and weapons technology from Moscow.
Chapter 4: What tensions arose in the Taiwan Strait in 2024?
And then, of course, there was what else? A fentanyl crisis in the United States that has to date killed more Americans than all those Americans who died in every war from World War II until now. And let's see, what else can we have for 2024? Again, I told you, I didn't want to bum you out. Political upheaval in a variety of countries around the globe. And of course, the U.S.
Chapter 5: How did the fentanyl crisis impact the U.S. in 2024?
election that saw the return of Donald Trump in the U.S., there was violence and chaos in Haiti that has left that country in shambles, then the list keeps going, doesn't it? The increasing proliferation, let's not forget that, of disinformation by a host of state actors, as well as the rise of AI-enabled deepfakes designed to sow discord, distrust, and division.
Chapter 6: What political upheavals occurred globally in 2024?
And those are just some of the year's more significant developments. It was, as they say, a year to remember. And so, we approach 2025 perhaps with a bit more trepidation than hope. If this past year is any indicator, well, the new year will be a doozy. Hmm, doozy, which is not a term that you hear all that often, frankly. Fair enough. Maybe we can go with a humdinger.
Chapter 7: What should we expect for 2025 based on 2024's events?
It was a humdinger of a year or a barn burner. Regardless, you get my point. Now, it's unlikely that 2025 will somehow deliver a year of peace, of calm, of civility. On this first day of the new year, though, it doesn't seem like any exit ramps are within view for the major global conflicts.
Putin, for instance, doesn't seem interested in legitimate negotiations despite the growing loss of Russian life and damage to his economy. Hamas and their puppet masters in Iran seem to have scuttled the latest ceasefire talks, The new rebel leaders of Syria are implying that democratic elections may be several years in the distance.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are ramping up hostilities, while Kim Jong-un is ramping up his anti-West rhetoric. It's hard to picture peace somehow breaking out just because we've made it to another year. And yet, well, the new year does always bring the possibility of change, the potential for something better. That's, I suppose, just the human condition.
We want to imagine that we've learned lessons from the past year, that this new year will bring a better version of ourselves. Look, we all make New Year's resolutions. Mine is to be less cynical. Maybe yours is to subscribe to our YouTube channel, at President's Daily Brief. Look at that, a few hours into the New Year, and I'm already shilling for our YouTube channel.
Anyway, point being, the world survived a pandemic, look, just a handful of years ago, and we've survived this past year of escalating conflicts. And to be honest and pragmatic, the world has seen much tougher times in the past. So we could justifiably step into 2025 knowing that the world is resilient, that in the moment, things may appear as bad as they've ever been.
But stepping back, taking a breath and putting things in context, I suppose, we can also see that we have the ability to withstand more than we imagine. And maybe, just maybe, we can figure out a way to learn from the past, to not repeat mistakes, to be better. Okay, or not. Damn, there I go being cynical. So much for my resolution.
Regardless, as we head into 2025, you can count on the PDB every day to tell you what's what on the world stage. I do sincerely want to thank you, all of you, for being a part of the PDB community as we work to bring you the key stories that should be on your radar and with a minimum of opinion and guff. Frankly, we hate guff and pontification here at the PDB.
Seriously, the entire PDB team, even our modestly compensated interns, are very appreciative of your support. The goal, as you know, is to bring you the globe's critical events and developments without telling you how to think about them. That, my friends, is up to you. And that is the PDB for today, the first day of 2025. Here's to a happy, a safe, and a successful new year for all of you.
I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, well, you know the drill. Stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
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