Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that everything is okay isn't going to do anyone any good.  Chaos has been erupting all over the globe, and global events are likely to accelerate even more in 2025.  But as I write this article, most Americans have shifted into "vacation mode" and are focused on celebrating.  Of course many do not have the resources to celebrate like they did in the past.  As I discussed the other day, 35 percent of Americans plan to spend less this holiday season and only 16 percent plan to spend more.  But there is still a whole lot of spending going on.  The average U.S. adult will spend about a thousand dollars on gifts this year, and all of this stuff will bring a certain level of temporary happiness.

Meanwhile, our world is going completely and totally nuts.

In recent weeks, there has been a growing consensus in the mainstream media that World War III is already here.  For example, the following comes from a Forbes article entitled "World War III Has Already Begun – And Businesses Need To Take Note"…

The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad's despotic regime in Syria this weekend highlights the interconnectedness of a growing number of global conflicts, revealing a hard truth that most of us would rather not think about too deeply: World War III has already begun.

Business leaders need to recognize this and begin planning accordingly.

At this moment, we are closer to nuclear war with Russia than we have ever been before, the Chinese are closer to invading Taiwan than ever before, North Korea continues to threaten to invade South Korea, and the incoming administration is seriously considering bombing Iran's nuclear program…

Ahead of his January 20 inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump is evaluating the possibility of preemptive strikes on Iran to stop its growing nuclear program, according to a Friday morning Wall Street Journal report.

According to the WSJ, this move would mark a significant change from previously established US policy on diplomacy and sanctions when dealing with Tehran.

The report outlines the Trump team's evaluation of potential attacks on nuclear sites, indicating that members of the president-elect's transition team are exploring this option.