Attempting to assign an overall grade to conditions worldwide is a fool's errand. There are more than 8 billion people populating the planet, living in a variety of climates and political divisions. According to Worldometers there are 195 countries, broken down thusly:

54 countries are in Africa, 48 in Asia, 44 in Europe, 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 14 in Oceania, and 2 in Northern America.

Obviously, the world is going to appear vastly different viewed from Singapore as it is from Bangor, Maine.

Still, it's worth the effort to try and offer some perspective. We begin with some of the bigger issues.

NUKES

On the minds of some people is the threat of nuclear annihilation if only because there's a proxy war in Ukraine between NATO and Russia, each of which possess extensive nuclear capability, or, the Middle East, which has escalated to a regional conflict. Saber-rattling is common in the South China Sea over Taiwan, again pitting East versus West, with attendant nuclear resources.

To think that just because superpowers are bumping elbows in military conflicts that nukes could fly is a naive notion. Each nation that possesses a nuclear arsenal has had them pointed at enemy targets for decades. Nobody is going to pull the trigger on nukes because that would essentially cause an end to humanity and nobody wins under that scenario, so let's just put that to rest.

There are hot spots, however, and some cooler places that require insight and examination.

United States

The U.S. economy continues to limp along. Taking into account just government propaganda, unemployment is at historically low levels, about 3.8% as of the last non-farm payroll report (March, 2024). Just on Saturday, April 22, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to commit to $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, at a time when the fiscal deficit for 2024 is expected to top $2 trillion and possibly $3 trillion. Not a penny went to secure the Southern border, over which as many as 13 million illegal entries have been made since January, 2021.

While the corporate-controlled media focuses on sports, Hollywood, November's elections, and celebrities, real Americans are suffering from ravaging inflation and insecurity about the future.

Russia

Despite sanctions and freezing of foreign-held assets, Russia's war-time economy is doing quite well. Reuters reported that Russia's GDP in 2024 is expected to grow at the same rate as in 2023, when it expanded by 3.6%, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Friday, April 19.

"Russia is careful with the budget balance. Public debt remains at a sustainably low level of about 15% of GDP, the budget deficit is about 1% of GDP, and the growth rate is expected to be at the same level as in 2023, 3.6%," Siluanov said.

Meanwhile, in the Ukraine Special Military Operation, Russian forces continue to demolish Ukrainian defenses and advance across a 1200-kilometer front. Rumors of a Russian summer offensive appear to be real. In fact, some argue that the offensive has already begun, as Russia plans to take Kiev and Odessa and most of the eastern part of the country by the end of the summer.

Russia is also the chair and host country for the 16th annual BRICS summit, scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan. President Vladimir Putin is popular in all opinion polls, with more than 70% of Russians supporting his policies. Some of the information presented here was obtained from Russian 2024 BRICS Chairmanship website (www.brics-russia2024.ru).

China

Truly the wild card in world politics, China continues to make progress throughout the world through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposing, designing, funding and helping build infrastructure projects around the world.

Alliances with BRICS countries and massive industrial capacity has made it the #1 economy in the world on a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) scale. While the United States continues to badger China over trade and militarily over Taiwan, China's leaders have adopted policies that ignore the pleas from the likes of Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen.

President XI has kept the country from ruin due to an implosion in the real estate market by loosening financial conditions. China is also the world's top producer of gold. Its citizens can purchase gold at any state-run bank or through merchants online or in cities.

Useful Links:

(places for more insight and information)

The Duran
Worldometers
Simplicus the Thinker