Life within the United States and the western world at large remains unstable and uncertain. Since early 2022, armed conflict has existed in Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of lives have already been lost, and the war (which is the first on the continent since the conclusion of world war two in the region in the spring of 1945) remains a stalemated, stagnant affair. In late 2021, the United States federal government orchestrated a clumsy withdrawal from Afghanistan and 13 servicemembers died and billions of dollars in military equipment was lost. In the middle east, Hamas invaded Israel in early October and the Islamic terrorist group murdered over 1,000 civilians.
In the pacific, nations like North Korea and China continue to act aggressively. North Korea has returned to making bombastic threats and continues to hold massive military parades in Pyongyang. While China faces economic problems, it also remains a growing threat to U.S. dominance in the region and claims sovereignty over the island of Taiwan. In a recent show of strength, the country sent over 100 planes in a maneuver near the island several months ago.
As America faces the troubling reality of a deteriorating global situation, conditions within the country continue to decline. 60% of citizens are living paycheck to paycheck; stable, desirable jobs are scarce, and wages remain low in comparison to skyrocketing costs of living, housing, and basic necessities. As Americans struggle to make ends meet, people are even losing confidence that their neighborhoods, foods, and water supply are safe. In one neighborhood in Oyster Bay, Long Island New York, tons of drums loaded with toxic chemicals were found buried in the ground just weeks after six were initially discovered. Residents of the community had been complaining of abnormal rises in cancer cases in the area for years, and now this harrowing discovery may give validity to these claims. The situation continues to unfold.
