When I was a youngster, I was often amazed at oldtimers saying, “I don’t understand the world any longer!” Hadn’t they over the years learnt the lesson that the world was ever changing and that you had to adapt to the changes? To my surprise, I have begun to nurture the same feeling this passed year! There is hardly anything left from the world of yesteryears, a world I had learned to love and live cosily within! I should, of course, have seen it coming; the whole last decade was nought but a build-up of events that led to his new world! But the past twelve months have made it clear that this buildup has become inevitable, that a profoundly changed world is here to stay.
The global superpowers have ceased to pretend that there is international law and order to bind them all. Instead, they are playing a brutal geopolitical power game at the expense of smaller nations, not to speak of the peoples of the planet. The great oligopolies in traditional energy markets have finally succeeded in manipulating public opinion, driven by totally corrupt political moguls (at least one of them), and, as a result, the inevitable shift away from fossil fuels appears to be slowing, if not coming to a complete standstill. Our own politicians in the West are forever luring their voters into believing that all government expenses are a free lunch, be they military build-up, climate actions or ever-increasing welfare benefits, and that there is absolutely no need to prioritise and keep public budgets under control. In Europe, productivity has come to a standstill, with the enterprise sector more content to accept subsidies than to do its job of innovating and advancing production processes.
As a result, I have a strong feeling that a perfect storm of political, natural, and financial crises is brewing and may erupt into chaos in the near future. Let us hope that the inevitable eruption does not occur next year, so that we can enjoy at least another twelve months of personal peace and happiness. In this sense, I invite you to join me in a solemn prayer for a
Happy Year 2026
8 comments:
Oh, dear Emil! Yet again you have so succinctly characterized what so many of us are feeling this rather somber NYE. We are grateful for having been part of the golden decades- economy wise- and now must adapt - somehow- to the dark times ahead. But for this one last day of 2025 let us truly be thankful and look ahead with resolve to the new year to come
Here is wishing you good health and the joy of good fellowship in 2026.
Lieber Emil! Deine Misanthropie muss ich leider teilen. Wir sind so machtlos gegen die Ströme der Selbstsucht und Selbstherrlichkeit. Trotzdem darf das nicht zu Depression führen; wir müssen es den jüngeren Generationen überlassen, den Planeten zu retten. Es stimmt mich zuversichtlich, wenn ich höre, dass Energiequellen wie Sonnenlicht und Wind schon im Begriff sind, Erdöl und -gas zu überflügeln. Alles Guite im Neuen Jahr allen, die dies lesen!
Dear Emil, it’s easy to share your thoughts about the coming time, it sure seems gloomy when you add all the latest events in global politics. But let’s keep the hope for a better future, something new and better will surely grow out of the current turmoil. This dialectic path is probably the fate of mankind.
Björn
Hej Emil
Varmt tack för Din nyårshälsning. Jag känner som Du: Även jag väntar mig någon typ av krasch men kan inte se riktigt hur den kommer.
Så önskar Christina och jag Dig ett Gott Nytt Kraschfritt 2026.
Lars
It is clear from many different areas that there is an all over shaking change in society. We should all take initiatives, small and big, that would help stabilities where it is possible.
Danke für den Hinweis. Ich habe mir Stefan Zweig „Die Welt von Gestern“ wieder auf die Leseliste gesetzt.
Dear Emil, I send you best wishes for 2026 - and can only agree wholeheartedly with your New Year message.
My very best regards Heather
Dear Emil,
This is so well written and true. I do think that people (at least in America) are beginning to wake up to the to the ruthless "Christian" totalitarian oligarchy takeover. Ruthlessly demoralizing! Then we'll see if they are able to admit they were wrong or will remain blindfully defended. However, in order to create a more empathetic world. You must destroy in order to create. Example: Mixing primary colors in order to start a painting. This is going to be a slow, slow process, and I probably won't be alive. But in the sixties, we created this empathy and a confidence that we could accomplish anything. See my documentary. It didn't last and the seesaw effect has probably gone on for eternity. People are tribal and selfish by nature, but this horrendous destruction will focus the necessity of seeing our commonality in order to survive. Please pray for this phoenix to arise from the ashes.Your friends Linda and Steve
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