© TASS
The year 2022 has come to an end, and it is time to sum up its results. Today we will briefly touch on the domestic events in the United States. Let’s note straight away that Americans are traditionally more interested in what is happening at home rather than internationally. This year is no exception here. Although some global affairs did make ordinary US citizens worry. In a nutshell, this refers to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, which entailed further deterioration of US-Russian relations and could eventually lead to a catastrophe worldwide, given the two countries’ nuclear potentials.
Besides, Washington imposed tough sanctions against Russia that backfired with an energy crisis in the United States, affecting its fuel prices and hence the ordinary people’s standard of living. The US also allocates billions of dollars to help Ukraine, which also cannot but affect its own internal situation, since they could have been successfully used for other purposes.
Secondly, is it about the worsened crisis in US-Chinese relations. Recall the August visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which nearly entailed a direct military clash between China and the United States. Let's not forget that amid a general deterioration between the two, their close trade and economic ties have been suffering until recently and affecting the US economy.
The latter is weak, indeed. Bloomberg economists predict a 100% probability of a recession in the United States by October 2023. The output gap will primarily occur over record-high inflation, which amounted to 7.1% in December. This is not something they are used to. For this reason, the new economic environment forces people to live off scraps, saving primarily on food and gas. The latter, be it noted, accounts for the bulk of household spending in America. Add to this the ever-growing public debt exceeding $31 trillion, which basically refers to domestic liabilities.
The White House believes that the country’s new budget (Consolidated Appropriations Act) recently approved by both Congress chambers and expected to amount to $1.7 trillion for fiscal year 2023, will help improve the economic environment. By the way, almost $45 billion are intended to help Ukraine. Total spending will increase by 9%, including funding for the Pentagon and military-related programs to reach $858 billion (plus 10% as compared to the previous plan, although the White House initially proposed a 4% increase only). Defense spending will grow by 9.5% to $797.7 billion, another $154.2 billion is stipulated for military construction and veteran support. As you can see, half of the US budget is meant for military needs, which makes pundits brand it as an echo of the Cold War.
Speaking about US events over the past year, we cannot but mention the midterms of November 8. Those featured the election of all the 435 House MPs, 35 (out of the 100) Senate MPs, and governors of 36 states, most of which also hosted local administration elections. Earlier, both chambers belonged to the Democrats, but the Republicans took the House away with their 222 seats. However, against all the odds, the "red wave" did not overwhelm America, as the Democrats managed to retain the Senate, preserving half of their seats.
The midterm election is commonly agreed to have been a dress rehearsal before the presidential one due in 2024. So far, it may once feature Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden rivalry, which does not bode well for the country. After all, Biden is 80, and Trump is 78.
As The Hill notes, the White House is already preparing for a two-year Congress split in the wake of newfound Republican control over the House. Experts say it will likely focus on investigating the Hunter Biden case and seek to hinder the one against Donald Trump for allegedly urging the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021. The GOP will also take some pains amid a Democratic majority in the Senate. Thus, much of the political struggle in America is yet to come.
Apart from the Capitol Hill, things remain tense at the southern US border over migration. This year, the Texas authorities wrecked it all for the Biden administration on Christmas day. While the president posted cute photos with his wife on Twitter, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered to bring another bunch of illegal immigrants directly to Vice President Kamala Harris’ place. He thus demonstrated disrespect of the White House's migration policy, reminding that Texas is still faced with a severe crisis at the border with Mexico.
The criminal landscape is depressing in the US, and the criminal rate remains very high. Firearm incidents alone killed over 43.6 thousand people this year, among them some 1.6 thousand kids, US Gun Violence Archive reports. More than 37.9 thousand people were injured, including 4.4 thousand children. Grim statistics say 2022 saw 145 armed robberies, 414 carjackings, 728 burglaries, and 28 rapes per 100 000 inhabitants. Another 3 000 people died in terrorist attacks.
