A Facebook friend posted yesterday that she was shocked by the number of people saying 2022 was a bad year. She then listed a few reasons why 2022 was a great year in her opinion.
I have to say that I think she was wrong.
Now I’m going to set aside the death of my mother in my decision making about 2022; think beyond me personally for a fleeting minute.
2022 was a year where a group of right wing hooligans, upset about COVID restrictions, decided to ignore the rule of law and take matters in their own hands. Canadians have never seen anything like it and the shock lingers.
The planet saw more global weather crises than ever before. The devastation was significant. It seems that increasingly areas that had previously seemed immune to this phenomena are joining the unfortunate club.
The planet is warming. The oceans are warming. Ice is melting.
Species continue to vanish at an alarming rate. There is a wee bit of hope on the horizon with the Canadian/Chinese accord negotiated in December but we have seen these accords in the past crumble to nothingness when the hard work of implementation is needed. Perhaps I am too cynical but at my age I have seen enough . . .
Humankind still seems to put profits over people regardless of the evidence we see of the short term and long term impact.
With rising food costs more people were struggling than previously to put food on the table. Here in Ontario foodbanks had record usage. See precious comment re profits over people . . . Yes, grocery store chains in Canada are raking in unprecedented profits in the face of the food precarity.
Public institutions – health care, senior care, and public education in particular, are in crisis. The impact from years of neglect and underfunding is showing. Of course corporate sharks are circling the waters seeking opportunities to privatize and profit off of these institutions.
Then there is the war in Ukraine. How could anyone airily say 2022 is a great year with Russians raining missiles and bombs on innocent Ukranians? While Russian soldiers rape an 82 year old woman or a 5 year old boy while forcing his mother to watch? Just a couple atrocities from a long and bloody list.
I am sure I have missed other things.
So no, 2022 was not a great year. I’m happy to see it pass on. However, I’m not holding out great hope for 2023 because many of the crises I listed above are still with us and need to be resolved.