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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 2, 2023

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2023 Predictions

Where percentages mean the expected share of predictions at that percentage that are correct by the end of the year. Essentially, I expect 4 of my 5 80% predictions to occur, one of my four 25% predictions, etc.

Asset Markets will:

  • 50% at some point in 2023, the SP500 will be 12%+ below its December 31st, 2022 value.

  • 25% at some point in 2023, the SP500 will be 20%+ below its December 31st, 2022 value.

The Federal Reserve will:

  • 80% raise interest rates by 50+ basis points.

  • 80% not cut interest rates before July 1st, 2023.

  • 50% raise interest rates by 100+ basis points.

The Bank of Canada will:

  • 80% raise interest rates by 50+ basis points.

  • 50% raise interest rates by 100+ basis points.

Canada will:

  • 50% have a “moderate” recession which begins in 2023 defined as either of: (1) a cumulative decline in GDP of 2% across any number of quarters, (2) the unemployment rises to 7% at any point.

  • 80% see detached house prices decline by 15%+ as measured by the December over December CREA national benchmark.

  • 25% Canada will have an election in 2023 and … the Liberals will win a minority government.

  • 50% Canada will have an election in 2023 and … the CPC will increase seats and win the most votes.

  • 25% Have a constitutional or jurisdictional crisis over provincial / federal issues, probably related to guns, but possibly related to the Alberta Pension Plan, health care funding, or equalization. This is hard to define, but I would take any kind of Meech-Lake style conference, or Supreme Court decision on constitutional questions, the creation of the Alberta Pension Plan, or refusal by local police to enforce federal gun bans as positive evidence.

At the risk of narcissism, I will:

  • 50% Buy a house.

  • 80% Save over half of our family's after-tax income.

  • 25% Switch jobs.

Not going to estimate certainty, and I don't even have a specific prediction, just want to be on record saying: something's up with the trans front of the culture war, the vibes are shifting. Whereas I don't really see BLM / CRT / MeToo / other aspects of wokeness going anywhere (other than the volume being turned up or down), I have a strong feeling there's something unstable about the trans stuff. Will it lead to a collapse, and if so will it be this year? Don't know, just saying keep an eye on this space.

50% Buy a house.

Oh, a house! At first I thought you were planning on buying a horse. Well, good luck either way!

I agree with the trans thing, there have been a lot of path dependent choices made before it really hit the mainstream and the stuff progressive activists are running with as dogma is just insane. I don't think it's going to go away entirely but I think a lot of people are going to quietly pretend they were "truscum" the whole time. double digit numbers of young women defining themselves as trans and the contradictions won't hold.