Sunday 9 December 2018

2019 and What I Expect

My list of ten things I expect to happen in 2019:

1.  BREXIT will occur, with the treaty thrown out the door, and most Brits shaking their head over all the chatter that occurred about some trade situation with the EU.....which doesn't apparently happen.  The US concludes a trade agreement in six weeks and it opens up a number of unexpected doors for Americans and Brits to travel, trade, and expand on industrial relationships.

2.  The budget situation is not worked out, and President Trump ends up in the spring shutting down the government.  The Democratic House will think they hold some control over the situation, and find by the sixth week of the shut-down....that the President has no enthusiasm for their game, and by day 60....a massive negativity exists with federal workers running out money while sitting at home.

3.  The past dozen-odd folks who headed finances with the Clinton Foundation over the past 20 years....will find themselves in Grand Jury rooms, and having to explain details....which seem to suggest they never understood how the Foundation worked and that outsiders seemed to run the money aspects more than they did. Money-laundering?  Well, the end-result will suggest some small and limited efforts at money-laundering (unconnected to Hillary or Bill).

4.  Senator Feinstein of California will retire by mid-summer and the new incoming Governor (Newsom) will appoint himself into the job.

5.  At least fifteen Democrats will announce themselves for the 2020 primary season.  At least ten of them will only participate only in four races (lacking the money for a more serious effort).

6.  Macron will settle back into limited appearances in public.  Bastille Day in Paris (the 14th of July) will be a mess with Yellow Jackets showing up in 200,000 range.

7.  A minimum of one new special prosecutor is appointed to review the email server episode of Hillary Clinton.  Charges will come up but it'll be some junior employee who issued orders on the behalf of Secretary of State Clinton.

8.  Arlington, VA residents complain about escalating housing costs with Amazon folks taking root.  A 20-percent rise in apartment rental costs will be 'average' by the end of 2019.

9.  President Trump decides that he's accomplished everything on his plate, and will not run in 2020.  The wall?  The Democrats will see wall funding as the massive threat to get the budget back on track, and by day seventy of the shut-down.....will agree to fund one-quarter of the wall cost.

10.  Some coup unfolds in Saudi Arabia and for forty-eight hours.....no one will be sure of who is in charge or who was 'whacked'.