While former President Donald Trump attempted to reduce the growing foreign supply chain, the current attempt to do the same is too little and too late. Costs are again soaring. These are higher than ever, as Ukraine’s affairs have played havoc with the growing number of commodities such as nickel, wheat, corn, oil, gas and cooking oil. Prices of all of them are up due to the gruesome invasion by Russia.

When it comes to moving goods by sea, prices are moving upward. In fact, it is a sure bet that prices are due to be much higher as increasingly hostile China will do anything to make life difficult for Western countries, especially the United States.

There are no signs of improvement in the longer year forward, as China will do everything it can to support its partner, Russia, and its increasingly antagonistic dictator Vladimir Putin.

On the home front, the U.S. Postal Service will keep the six-day-a-week service delivery, despite a proposal to drop Saturday. Pressure from the majority forced those at the development end of this negativity to drop such a “revolutionary” change. The legislation passed both houses of Congress in March; President Joe Biden signed it into law in early April. 

 This was approved by the thankful relief of most of the public, especially those residing in the rural areas of the nation where private carriers are scarce.

COVID-19, Ukraine-Russia War

A world made poorer and more dangerous by the COVID-19 pandemic is drawing away from past globalization. This is causing future labor potential and wage-increasing possibilities to be questionable.

The direct impact of the Ukraine war, the massive Russian invasion on this once-successful entity, is already being felt negatively. Ukraine was increasingly more like a West European empire, which likely annoyed Russian President Vladimir Putin even more. This thriving entity had indicated its capability to stand on its own. Ukraine was the first post-USSR nation that believed individual development was its best bet. 

Human progress in the United States, United Kingdom and even France has been the basis of future hope that has influenced these nations in the early part of the current century.

The view somehow got around that every country, or province, should be able to make its own success within major projects. This was not so complicated in Europe when small countries “locked” into each other. But it had become impossible in the United States, where many products and projects depended on foreign sources.

This was fought against by President Donald Trump, who was partially successful in rebuilding critical organizations and American finished products. Unfortunately, U.S. voters did not give him a second term, and we lost the initially successful start in that direction. 

2022: A Year of Global Change

It seems almost projected that the current year will be one of transition, reversal and surprises. But most critical for the world will be the showdown with Russia, which is just getting started.

The many changes already occurring indicate an economic upturn as well as an unexpected reversal. One element not being profound is the once highly dramatized elimination of fossil-fuel energy to clean up the air, encompassing the global energy system. 

When confused President Biden canceled an oil supply source from Canada, it was to be the beginning of the elimination of oil, coal and other forms of critical energy for the sake of cleansing the surrounding air.

Just as critical for Americans will be the forthcoming congressional elections in November and the following presidential confrontation in 2024. While former President Trump will be the likely Republican nominee, the Jan. 6, 2021, debacle in Washington, D.C., attributed to the former president, may dramatize such a repeat Biden/Trump showdown in 2024.

With an overload of problems facing America throughout the world, it would be foolhardy to make any future predictions at this time.