Hope For The Holidays

I’m taking the holiday week off to be with my family, so for the week of December 23^rd I thought I would highlight some ‘good news’ - the kind of news that is often hidden behind the headlines. It might be helpful in pushing back against the dark clouds generated by the continual gong show that is Trump Faking It.

Here are some of the things that could make your season glow brighter…

Americans are getting healthier. Without much attention, the U.S. has recently experienced some waves of good-health news. Drug-overdose deaths fell 3 percent from 2022 to 2023. Traffic fatalities declined after a huge rise in 2020 and 2021, despite a rise in total vehicle miles traveled. The adult-obesity rate has declined. There has been a double-digit decline in the murder rate. This year marks the first time in the 21st century that obesity, overdose deaths, traffic fatalities, and murders all declined in the official data analysis. 2024 was arguably the best year for American health reports in decades.

“Tradwives” don’t exist. Tradwives - women playing a subservient role to the male income-producing dominant figure – were an online trend, but in reality women became more independent than ever in 2024. More women than ever are embracing financial independence, delaying motherhood, and choosing single life over unsatisfactory relationships. In 45% of marriages, the wife makes as much or more money than her husband. Around 90% of women in relationships make the most financial decisions or split that duty in half with a partner. According to a Salon report, “About half of women are unmarried, which is a record high. Single women are more likely than single men to own their home. Single women without children have as much wealth on average as their male counterparts.” Young women complete college at higher rates than men and there has been a collapse in teen pregnancies, dropping the birth rate to a record low.

A ‘bust the billionaires’ movement is increasingly visible. It came to the surface when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in New York. There was a rush of public support for the shooter. Crowdfunding efforts have ballooned to more than $150,000 after a few days. More than 40% of young voters found the killer’s actions ‘acceptable’. Online stores have a boom selling merchandise like sweatshirts, wine tumblers and hats emblazoned with words "deny," "defend" and "depose" – the words found on shell casings near the body. One healthcare company quickly reversed itself on a policy to put a time limit on coverage for anesthesia. It is increasingly likely that there will be a revolt against the rich as income inequality gets wider every second. Trump’s cabinet could be a trigger moment in American politics – the time when the billionaires’ coup against America became flagrant and unbearable.

World poverty is in decline. We tend to focus on our own backyard, but out there in the world exciting things are happening…

Democracy is holding steady around the world. South Koreans held a jamboree when they got their democracy back. Rulers in the Arab world are bracing for the next upheaval as their increasingly educated population is starting to demand change. A dozen of the 32 members of NATO - more than one-third - once belonged to the Soviet block; now they are democracies and proud members of the speak-my-mind club.

Trump may get sensible about abortion. We should brace ourselves in case he flips again but he has advised the GOP for years now to moderate their positions on abortion. If anything this has become even more centrist recently, with the public announcement from Melania Trump that she is a passionate supporter of a woman’s right to control her own body. Anyone who thinks that her opinion will count for nothing with Trump, has never been married.

Sheriffs are not going to help with deporting immigrants. Sheriffs say they already have enough on their hands without becoming immigration agents. Just 125 of the 3,081 sheriff’s offices in the US have signed up. There is a fly in Trump’s ointment.

World wealth is growing. It is not enough that poverty is declining, but global wealth is expanding. Since 2000 the global middle class has more than doubled, driven by the expansion of emerging economies.

Education plays a key role in spreading the wealth. Education, available in all countries, can grow a poor country’s economy by 30% per year. Education can also improve health, gender equality, peace, and stability.

World religions jointly hold December in awe as a celebration of the winter solstice – that moment in the year when the days start to get longer. In the northern hemisphere winter solstice is on December 21/22, and the Saturnalia was celebrated to cover that date, from December 17—23. The sun, however, does not begin to rise earlier until the 25th of December. Two days after the end of Saturnalia, on December 25, the Romans observed the birthday of the major imperial deity Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun god, whose resurgence on the winter solstice initiated the daily increase in the hours of sunlight. For that reason, 25th December was regarded as the birthday of the sun god and was an important date for pagan celebrations. On the Julian calendar, which the Romans used at the time, the winter solstice fell on December 25. It was taken over by the new Christian sect some 500 years later, to worship the birth of their God.

Other religious holidays that take advantage of December include Hanukkah, the Jewish celebration of the re-dedication of the Second Temple; Bodhi Day, the Buddhist commemoration of the day Buddha attained enlightenment; the Winter Solstice celebrated by Pagans and Wiccan believers for the winter-born king and the re-birth of the sun; the Zoroastrians honor the death of their prophet, Zarathustra, who founded one of the oldest monotheistic religions; Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration honoring African American heritage; and Kathika Deepam is a festival of lights observed by Hindu Tamils.

So lots of reasons in December to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.

Trump’s mass deportation plan is not likely to work. It could cost $150- $350-billion to remove all undocumented immigrants…though sources inside say he will concentrate on those who have committed crimes. An estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants live across the country, working in the agriculture, oil and gas, construction, health care and service industries. So good luck with that. Who is going to change Trump’s diaper in the old ager home?

The Dems will win in 2026. When Trump is not on the ballot – like in the mid-terms – the low-propensity voters do no show up, while the Dems do.

The Dems will win in 2028. Trump does not permit the emergence of a rival, so there is no clear signal about who will replace him. The MAGA coalition will fall apart without him. Also, his policies will result in economic hardship and toxic relations when he cuts social security, and the electorate will turn against him.

The 2024 election WAS close… Look at it from a population perspective (R) vs area (L):

“The Return Of The Great Powers” will be the book we dive into when the holiday season is over. It is a jolt for those who think that WW3 can’t happen, and a further condemnation of Trump. We are dividing into two mega-blocks, with Russia and China forming a central mass that runs from Japan’s coast to the borders of Ukraine. Russia, BTW, is the junior partner.

The US is an international country whether Trump wants to believe it or not. It is the world’s largest exporter and importer of goods and services. If we look at a map of the trading partners for each state, we get a different feel for America. If they are not trading with Canada they are trading with China or Mexico…

Democratic states are where the American future is. Harris-won states perform better economically, contributing more to GDP, with higher incomes, better education levels, and longer life expectancies. Trump-won states, in contrast, face higher poverty, more gun violence, higher incarceration, and more chronic disease prevalence.

We have a world language: English. English is the official language in 83 countries and is widely spoken in 55 other countries. That would be more than 70% of the world’s countries. In terms of raw global population, only China and Russia stand aside…and in China 300-400 million people are learning English, because it is a required subject in school. All of the world’s airline pilots and sea captains speak English. 75% of the world’s mail is written in English, and half of all scientific articles are written in that language. If you say that “English is the lingua franca of the world,” you are revealing its trick for staying ahead, because English has no pride and will adopt any words from any other language if they seem useful. Like “lingua franca”. It’s English now.

Not all Republicans are irredeemably stupid…

Tomorrow is the shortest day. If we can get through tomorrow, Saturday December 23^rd we will have breached the shortest day of the year; from here on the sun will be extending our waking hours as it floods our streets and fields.

Old age is about to die. By 2030 – 5 short years from now – we will enter a bio-dynamic that respected futurist Raymond Kurzweil has dubbed the Longevity Escape Velocity, where radical life extension will be available. Most people—both doctors and patients—are still unaware of this grand transformation. But it has been the dream of emperors and kings from the beginning of history – and we are about to experience it. Don’t despair…life is coming.

In the meantime, prepare to fight for freedom – because it is a concept that Trump does not understand. Anything that does not centre on him, does not exist.

And that includes you, Elon Musk, you delusional disposable god.

So, Happy Holidays! Thank you for all of your encouragement and positive comments!!

And thank you for reading Barry’s Substack.

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