It’s hard to believe that the year 2025 is coming to an end.  It’s been a tumultuous year.  Groundbreaking in some ways, surprising in others, but unfortunately all too predictable and disappointing in other respects.

I say the year has been somewhat disappointing because, as the decades and centuries roll by, no appreciable advancement in civilization is apparent.  I’ve never been accused of being naive, but for some time I did harbor the odd notion that, as time passed the human race would inevitably evolve into a more peaceful and benevolent species.  Sadly, that has not been the case.  If anything, things are getting worse.

2025 is a case in point.  The year began with a terrorist attack.  An Islamic terrorist used a pickup truck in New Orleans to run over and kill 14 people and injured 57 who dared to celebrate the new year.  A kook killed five in a Midtown Manhattan building because he had an ax to grind against the NFL.  Charlie Kirk was murdered.  Homicidal maniacs on public transit this year had a nasty habit of setting on fire or knifing to death innocent riders.  There were anti-Semitic murders in Australia.

And the year is going out the very same way.  As this is written on December 22, 2025 Rob Reiner and his wife have been murdered by their son and another madman killed two students at Brown University, and a professor in Massachusetts.  No, humanity is not moving toward a more peaceful status.

American cities didn’t fair well this year.  In Chicago, the denizens of that City are still shooting one another with abandon whenever the sun goes down.  Los Angeles wildfires burned much of the city.  As this is written, almost no homes have been  rebuilt.  The State’s Governor thinks that qualifies him to be President.  In New York, a Muslim Communist was elected Mayor.  That should be interesting.

The political year started out with the Return of the MAGA, as President Trump returned to office.  In a matter of weeks, he had the borders shut down and the process of deporting criminal aliens had begun.  At year’s end, nearly a million have been deported and another 2 million have self-deported.  It’s a start.

True to form, Trump hasn’t rested for a moment.  Despite the worst efforts of elected Democrats, the media, and appointed judges, Trump has gotten a lot done.  After solving the border crisis, he got the Big Beautiful Bill passed, extending and increasing tax cuts.  He signed a couple of hundred Executive Orders, ended eight wars, reduced the government payroll by almost 250,000, and is rebuilding the White House.  Each and every accomplishment has been fought by the Democrats.  They haven’t slowed him down.

Perhaps the most notable presidential action has been the war on Venezuelan drug traffickers.  Relentless attacks on Venezuelan drug boats have cut the seaborne narcotics trade by more than 90%.  So far, three Venezuelan tankers, carrying embargoed oil have been seized, putting an economic squeeze on the Maduro dictatorship.  Unlike his predecessors who imposed sanctions they never enforced, Trump actually keeps his word.  It’s one of the reasons they hate him so much.

One of the wars that hasn’t stopped in between Russia and Ukraine.  The efforts of the Administration to reach a cease fire haven’t worked.  Putin is just playing for time, and there’s no doubt,  even were he to agree to a cease fire, it would last only until he rearmed and Trump left office.  Not a pretty picture.

As New Years approaches, governments all over the world are running scared, fearing that terrorist attacks might spoil New Year’s celebrations.  Australia cancelled its festivities in the wake of the Bondi Beach Islamic terrorist massacre.  Then the FBI exposed a plot by Jihadists to explode bombs in Los Angeles on at midnight New Year’s Eve.  As a result celebrations have been cancelled in Bali, Serbia, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris. Various lame excuses have been offered.

In Bali, they’re showing respect for those impacted by natural disasters.  In Belgrade, the excuse is they don’t want children put at risk at music concerts. (They shouldn’t be out at midnight anyway).  Hong Kong is still repairing fire damage from apartment house fires.  In Tokyo, the story is they’re worried about large crowds outside the train station. (There are large crowds in Tokyo every day).  In Paris, true to form, they’re just plain scared.  Security concerns, they say.  Maybe they shouldn’t have turned France over to Islamic extremists.  Then again, the thing the French do best is surrender.  Remember the old joke?  Whey are there so many trees on the Champs Elysee?  So the Germans can march in the shade.

Anyhow, fast away the old year passes.  2026 brings the promise of the 250th Birthday celebration of the United States.  It should be a great party, so long as nobody French has to plan it.  Happy New Year.