10 surprising things that made 2024 better than you might think
Despite global challenges and a controversial US election this fall‚ there are still reasons for optimism. From unexpected political shifts to economic wins‚ hereʼs a fresh look at the yearʼs silver linings
In this years thanksgiving season‚ finding bright spots requires some extra thought-work. The worlds situation isnt exactly cheerful with ongoing conflicts global warming and political shake-ups
The recent US election (just few weeks back) brought unexpected outcomes but at least we saw something positive: a clean transfer without messy disputes. Donald Trump won and democrats didnt try to mess with results – thats how democracy should work
The democratic party is getting a major face-lift: Joe Biden‚ Nancy Pelosi and other long-time leaders are stepping back. Its about time for fresh ideas in politics (especially in foreign policy where old approaches clearly dont work anymore)
The economy showed surprising strength thanks to smart management by Janet Yellen‚ Jared Bernstein and Jerome Powell – they achieved what many thought impossible: a soft-landing after covid. Too bad voters didnt notice this win
- Seven out of ten states passed pro-choice laws
- ICC took bold steps against war-crimes
- No WMD use happened this year
- Civil servants kept working despite challenges
- Many great books came out
The IWM institute in Vienna became my temporary home-base this fall; its been quite helpful for writing and thinking. Speaking of changes: you can now find me on BlueSky instead of X (formerly twitter) at @stephenwalt.bsky.social
I take no joy in problems that will cause suffering‚ but if damage happens Id rather it be swift and obvious to all
