2023 Predictions for Global Geopolitics! What to Expect!!

Hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends live stream. So excited to be with you guys here. Uh, we got a lot to talk about, the predictions for 2023. Before I'll jump into this, I want to say thank you for your support as always, and I do truly appreciate, uh, you guys sharing your comments with me and all that's I'm learning from you as well. It's, it's a two-way street here. So we are here just to create this community by which we learn and help each other, because that's what we have. You're all aware of how the governments are behaving and so forth. So, but today I am going to be talking to you about— those are, by the way, my personal opinions, uh, my own prediction, shall we say, even though predictions can be very, very, very tricky, shall we say. But you have to just have some understanding of where things are going. So I'm gonna focus on some key, key aspects, then we'll just, uh, take it from there. And, uh, but before I'll do that, please drop me a note on the chat, let me know where you are joining me from. Uh, I always find it fascinating to just, uh, and I'm gonna take a look because the print is so small So we got, uh, Muhammad Hamrawi from Casablanca in Morocco. Good to have you here. Uh, Jack Robert, as always, and I appreciate you, Jack, for all your comments. Uh, Jack is here. Uh, let's see who is, uh, Steve from the UK, Joe Ryo from Florida. Good to have you. Jack Robert, by the way, from the UK. Uh, Let me see who else here. So anyway, we'll show up, uh, as we move forward. Uh, I'm sorry, I couldn't pronounce the word from Finland, uh, Momi Peko. My apologies. Uh, there's also SC Player 1000 from Melbourne, Australia. Good to have you here. So, uh, who else? Indianapolis, Matthew Russell. So good to have you guys here. So here is the way I am thinking about doing this, and of course I welcome your feedback as always. Uh, I was gonna just provide you some insights into 3 or 4 key areas: geopolitical, of course, economics, and energy. And also I might touch on space, believe it or not. Then I'll conclude this with 2 or 3 questions. And speaking of questions, I am in the process of putting together some sort of a membership for those who might be interested in having a a private time with me as far as answering your questions. Usually I'll do the consulting part, that's separate, that's for the business entities. But for you, I'm going to create a special forum here. Uh, uh, it's, it's a type of membership. It's not that, you know, that's like about $2, I think, or $3, whatever that is. So, but anyway, I'm working on all this. I am also going to be doing a free webinar, and I'll send you all the link for you to register because it will require your email. If you feel comfortable doing that. And of course, uh, those emails will not be sent anywhere else. I'm somebody who's very, very protective of people's private information. So, uh, and I will communicate with you as always, you know, when I post the videos, I will make notes of this. So, so let me see who is here from Las Vegas. Jimmy Star, good to have you, man., uh, from India, Chena Kesava, good to have you. And Denmark forever for you, Zadran, good to have you in Denmark. By the way, I enjoyed my time when I visited Denmark way back. Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, I've been in this country. So, all right, so let's, let's talk about briefly about, uh, what should we expect So as you may know, many of course wonder, you know, what can we expect in 2023? Well, you can look at it, of course, as I said, from an economic perspective. You can look at it from geopolitical. You can look at it from an energy. And those usually are key aspects that will give you an indication not only about where the trends are headed, but also what to expect for you personally. I mean, here is the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing, and this is not just to share information with you because you can find information anywhere else, except that, you know, you have to make sure the information is objective, the information is accurate, okay? And personally, for me, I have no, uh, no motives per se. I'm not after rating because I'm not a network I'm just me by myself with a computer, a camera, and the knowledge here. That's all I have. So my thinking is, if I am to share this with you, is for you to use because you want to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. You don't want to be surprised. This is what I'm like thinking right now, how the European must feel that their governments have failed them for not foreseeing the consequences of their policies. And as I, you know, I talk to people in Europe, so I'm a little bit aware of what's going on there. So it's kind of very, very problematic. So, so let's start first with geopolitics, or geopolitically, that is. And I mentioned two key ones. The two key ones are Russia-China rapprochement will only strengthen moving forward, okay? And the other aspects that I am looking for is US-China relations. Which in my opinion will not improve within the next 2, 3, 4 years or so. I don't see any, any, any sort of flexibility emanating from Washington first, because Beijing will have to wait to see what Washington has to offer. If they don't offer anything, Beijing will not move an inch. That's just how it works. So But the key to the geopolitical aspect has to do with BRICS, believe it or not. Because here is the thing, what you need to be looking for in 2023 is, uh, how fast BRICS is going to grow. Well, there is one thing, BRICS, which is Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, cannot grow too fast. The reason being because the infrastructure, administratively that is, It's not there yet. So if BRICS gets too big so, uh, so quick, it's going to become problematic. That's like in a business— if you grow too big too fast without having the infrastructure for it, it'll backfire. So, but nonetheless, we can ignore that moving forward because here's the thing: there's already discussions on, on Iran, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia. All of those countries are interested now. Hey, we want to join the BRICS. So this is why I'm looking at this as a trend to watch for, given that next year in 2023 the summit will be in South Africa. And I will be keeping— I'm keeping an eye on it from now till then to see the indication as to which country is going to get in first. Because not all of them is going to get in all at once. That ain't gonna happen. But it's gonna be one at a time, and, and, and it becomes a question of the priorities. So, and if I am to guess, and this is my personal opinion, I can see Saudi Arabia first, and I can see Iran, and I can see Argentina. Those three, you know, there's the possibility of United Arab Emirates, maybe, maybe not, but If they are today, the BRICS, they are to think about United Arab Emirates. You look at just China as it cut a deal with Qatar. So because the access, or the admission, or rather not the access but the admission of countries from the Middle East, it will be mainly for energy security. It won't be for political clout. Because if you look at Saudi Arabia joining BRICS, You all know what the consequences will be for the dollar. You know, it's no-brainer, you know, and I've already talked about this one before some. So, and this is why, uh, you look at this expansion as a reflection of what the geopolitical landscape will be about. What am I talking about? In a simple term, is a multipolar world. That's what I'm referring to. So the BRICS, that will be one of the things to really keep an eye on moving forward. So let me move to economics, which will be a major undertaking moving forward. But the outlook is that from the get-go, Europe's economy will continue to deteriorate. And I'm using the term very carefully, deteriorate, because Europe has lost its mind. You look at now that most of the European— some, let me take this back, I don't say most, I say some now are pivoting towards China. First, we looked at it with, uh, Olaf Scholz's visit, okay? Second, you look at it with a German BMW manufacturer shift— shipping or shifting its operations to China. Then you look at with the visit of Emmanuel Macron to the United States. And it basically was, hey, either this or that. But what, what, what he meant by that is either you can get in— you, the United States, can get in into negotiations with the Russians and solve the issue for us, or we're gonna have to consider— and I think also Emmanuel Macron is being very manipulative, you know. He is also looking at it from his own a political, uh, angle, shall we say, because there's the upcoming elections. The far right in France is on his neck. So if he got a deal with China, which I won't be surprised at all, because as I always say, guys, when you think of the EU, the European Union, not as Europe continent, who do you think about? Germany and France, of course. That's all. So I do, I do see it that way. Uh, you look at also the United States, which by the way, it's not the only area at risk of the recession in 2023, because it's a reality despite what the politicians are saying. You look at, uh, what's her name, uh, Janet Yellen, the Secretary of Treasury, way back a few months ago when she said that the inflation is transitory. It's nonsense. That's Lying, basically. That's one. And second, she thinks that people are dumb, they can't understand the reality. When you go grocery shopping and you used to buy an item for, let's say, $10, and all of a sudden you find it for $20, well, it doesn't take genius. You might not know the term, but you know that the value of your dollar today is not worth what it was yesterday. So for her to say the inflation is transitory, it's a lie, basically. So, so what to expect is moving forward that in both the United States and Europe, you know, they're gonna have— you know, we're already witnessing here in the US. I can't speak in Europe because I'm not in Europe, but I'm already getting the, uh, the information from the locals living there on the ground. Last time I was in a conversation with someone from the UK, they explained that now we're running— they said they're running into an issue with energy first of all, and now the, the, the prices of goods are going up. So, so the bottom line to all this is that recession is on the horizon despite what you hear from other, uh, politicians and so forth. And by the way, the recession will not be limited only to the US the UK. It's a global one, and I'm going to be touching about this as I move forward here. So the other aspects that I see as a result of this, and again, those are my own predictions, is the social breakdown or social chaos. I don't know if you are aware of what's going on right now in Netherlands. You know, you look at the clash between civilians and law enforcement. And shame on those officers, because those officers, they have their families as well. For them to follow unlawful orders, shame on them. You all saw the images in Canada. You all saw the images in Netherlands. You all saw the images in Germany. You know, it's kind of— and this is where I see it going. I see it moving forward into that social chaos that will start in Europe first before we see it for us here in the US. And when I say Europe, I'm referring to UK, okay? I'm referring to Germany, and I'm referring to France, Italy to a degree. The reason being because the current administration of, uh, Giorgia Meloni is kind of walking a fine line as to European policy per se, but also the interest of Italians. This is why Giorgia Meloni lashed out at Emmanuel Macron regarding the immigration. She didn't care, and rightly so, because you have to think about the welfare of your citizens first. So speaking of the economic outlook, I also keep an eye on what's going on in— with ASEAN. It's very interesting to know as to how 2023 will shape up the economic outlook for ASEAN. Well, in my opinion, and again, this is my personal— if I am wrong, then of course I'm wrong. It's me. I don't put things on people. It's if I make a mistake and, you know, come forward and say, hey, I made a mistake, I take the blame for it. You don't shift the blame to others. You You don't play this kind of games. So, so the way I see it in ASEAN is that its economic outlook will continue to improve. And look no further than what just took place in Cambodia, Cambodia with the meeting of the ASEAN. So, and here is the thing, uh, the possibility based on the data that I looked at, they're about 4.6%, uh, uh, growth in 2023. And this is that, uh, uh, suggested, uh, uh, uh, stats that could reach ASEAN countries, which could move respectively between 5.1 to 5.2% moving forward in 2023. Even though there is one reality that you need to be aware of, is that countries in Southeast Asia, you know, economic growth in some of them has increased but in the following year, in 2023— it has increased in 2022, but in 2023, okay, there will be some downward trend, shall we say, which has nothing to do with the ASEAN economy itself, but it has to do with the global economy. Because remember, the recession is not limited only to one or two or three countries, it's global. Of course, that was impacted by the shortage in energy. So, and when you look at it, at least for ASEAN— and we are focusing on ASEAN— you look at it with the biggest economies in ASEAN. So, and because they've been affected by the economic slowdown, and it was a slowdown, there is no mystery about it, uh, but also there is an economic slowdown, but it's also a hike in inflation. You know, and when you take this into consideration, you see how countries are increasing interest rate like we did here in the United States and like what the UK and the EU did recently. So you take, for example, uh, the economic outlook for— just to give an example here— for Indonesia, okay? Uh, the economic outlook will be cut to about 4.9 from 5.1%. For Malaysia, uh, it will be cut to 4.0 from 4.6. You look at the another— and, and the countries I'm mentioning, those are the main economies in ASEAN. You look at Philippines, it's going to be cut from 5.4— it's going to be 5.4 cut from 5.6%. Singapore will be 2.2% from 3.5%, and Thailand will be about 3.7% from 4.4%. And once again, those are predictions, those are possibilities, but you have to put them within the context of the global trends, economically speaking, as we move forward. Now When we talk about that economic, from that aspect, you also have to think about the economic growth, you know, because you can't separate the two. So, so regionally, when I talk about regionally, I'm referring also to the ASEAN area. The GDP growth will, they, they will, will decelerate next year. It's expected. So, and the reason for that is because is the backdrop in the supply chain. That's one, okay? And of course, the energy, uh, consumption, because most countries will be looking for sources of energy. This is why China cut a deal with Qatar not only for 5 years or 10 years, for 27 years. You know, even Germany did have a deal with Qatar, but it's no comparison to what Qatar just cut— the deal that it cut with China. You know, this is why I use the title. If you, if you— I'm sure you, you saw that video I released this morning, that Qatar ignored. I use the term ignored. Well, it's because they didn't see the deal that will work for them, for Qatar, that is. So they went ahead with China. So when you think about Asia as a whole, not just ASEAN countries, the energy part will be part of it. Also, you have to think in terms of, uh, the, uh, price pressures, higher interest rates, all those will play into influencing the economic growth, that is. And of course, the elephant in the room, which we can ignore, is China's weak growth prospect. Yes, I will use the term weak. There are those in the— here in the West that saying, what, the economy of China is going to collapse? It's nonsense. You know what you do? You forgive their ignorance. That's all you can do. But at the same time, they are entitled to their opinion, and their opinion should be respected. I just happen to disagree with it. So China's economy is not going to collapse no matter what they said, but it will slow, especially with the growth for next year. So, and of course, the, the, the slowdown in the West— when I say the West, I'm referring to Europe and the United States or North America, that is It's, uh, tied to the volatility in the energy prices. This is why— and this is once again, this is where that trend comes in— this is why some Western media went ahead and issued the statement lying basically by saying that OPEC is going to increase production. No, OPEC is not increasing any production anytime soon. And the reason why is because of this, what the West is going to be dealing with as far as the volatility of the price of the energy prices. That is the reason why. The other aspect has to do— while we're still on the economic, uh, frame here— the other aspect has to do with the inflation outlook, because very, very important. So, well, so far at least, the, the, the, the data that I looked at, because I spent few days almost a week. I'll share with you, I spent almost a week gathering the data to ensure which one is which. And, and once I figure out, okay, this is the best, well, that I could find, once I verified it from other sources. So that's what led me to disclose this kind of numbers. So, so for the inflation, is that regional inflation, uh, let me say thank you to Oh, oh, Tom Petra, Tom Petra, thank you so much for your super sticker. And I will actually— I can answer your question right now, uh, why not? We can do it right now. So your question is, will Europe economic collapse next year as they run out of energy, being deindustrialized and abolishing their own farmlands. You know, that depends again what do you mean by the term collapse, because collapse, that doesn't mean it cease to exist. If you are talking about an economy that cease to exist, no, I don't see that. But if you're talking about the collapse of certain sectors within the economy, yes, it will happen. This is why, for example, BMW went ahead and moved its operations to China before it's too late. Because the energy crisis in Europe ain't gonna be solved next month or two or three. Like I said before, Russia is thinking in terms of why bother with Europe now when we can— when we are securing a market in Asia. Asia is where the economic— the global economic hub is. So Europe basically shot itself in the foot. And I will use the term, it lost its mind. It's the, the, the, the, the ill-conceived policies. You know, I don't know what those leaders were thinking. I don't even call them leaders because, uh, a leader— when you talk about a leader or leadership in general, you don't think about it for yourself, you think about for the people you represent. That's what a great leader does. You, you know, your welfare and your interests and your, uh, your, uh, what's the word I'm looking for, your political career, and you're, uh, uh, just trying to think about your, your, uh, jeez, I draw a blank on the word, your legacy. It's not about that. It's about the people you serve. And this is what I always say, and I'm sure you heard me guys saying this. There is a deficiency in leadership in the West. There are no leaders out there. They're none. You know, I don't see anybody qualified to lead. And again, that's my personal opinion. So, so the short answer to your question is no, it's not a complete collapse, but apparently the, the companies in Europe will suffer because of the shortage of the energy. And once again, thank you for your super sticker. All right, let me get back to where I was talking here, inflation. So, and one thing you need to think about it here is the idea, while we still talking about ASEAN here, guys, because you think about it, uh, in September, uh, the inflation in the region, ASEAN region, in September, which was only what, 2 months ago, was about 6.2%. No, that was September, October, you know. And the thing is, with faster price increase, you know, you can just see, uh, this is why you see, for example, this inflation was recorded in Laos, the Philippines, okay, Vietnam, and even Thailand and Indonesia. Even though in Thailand and Indonesia they recorded a slower rise in prices in comparison to other countries. So next year, in my opinion, the inflation should also sort of ease to a degree, but it will still be there, felt in energy prices. This is why Indonesia went ahead and cut a deal with Russia despite what the West was saying. So, all right, let me move to talk about the energy market, the global one, that is oil and gas. Why is that? Of course it's important. Without oil and gas, without access to oil and gas, you can see where economies are, Europe being the case. So 2023, so what could we expect? Of course you would expect the need for future— for further investments in— into the energy sector. But as a whole, as a whole, energy and gas, uh, because you all know the, the record profit that energy companies, you know, I do believe, uh, if I'm not mistaken, uh, Exxon here in the US made about $9 billion profit due to the crisis in Ukraine because of the shortage of energy. So you can just tie You know, this is why things don't happen randomly when it comes down to geopolitics. There is no such thing as random. Excuse me, it, it's, it's, there is always a reason and motives and so forth. So, so Exxon, despite the downturn economically for Europe, it made $9 billion profit. So, so the thing is, it's gonna be Uh, for 2023, you're gonna have, uh, you, you're gonna see the shift really focus on Asia because that's a large market. First of all, there is larger demand of that. And second, if the sanctions stays on, on Russia, Russia would just keep shifting, shifting, or, or shipping or selling its energy to Asia and forget about Europe altogether. So I'm sure, like, I'm sure you thought of this also, that, that oil and gas companies, you know, they are recognizing the geopolitical and macroeconomics impact or uncertainty moving forward. I am sure they do, because it will be naive of them not to think in those terms what to expect. So what the government's going to be doing, I don't know. Will they give them a clear mandate to sort of, uh, move with some other, uh, uh, supply sources to secure some other supplies? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. But I don't see that happening. I just do not see— you look at even between here, the US and, and Canada, uh, oil prices at Let alone you take, you take a country like Haiti, for example, which we don't hear much about, by the way. And there's a lot of chaos in Haiti, by the way. The United States is about to invade Haiti. Haiti is about $30 a gallon of gas. That's just part of, of, of how it is. So let me see first if there is one side question here before I'll keep going here. And All right, let me see question. Okay, SC Player is saying, can you talk about peak oil? When and what will the effect on the economy? Well, it depends what you mean by peak oil. Are you talking about more production from OPEC? I don't see that happening because OPEC+ will have to approve that. When I say OPEC+, I'm referring to Russia. And why— and I did a video on this, by the way, when I mentioned about Russia and Saudi Arabia, you know, they're saying no more cheap oil for the West, because that's what basically what it is. So, so I don't see that, that moving into that direction. So, uh, let me go back to my, uh, talking points here because I had a lot, so I had to organize all this up. Let's talk about tensions in Taiwan. Yeah, that's something you need to look for in 2023. Well, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I have to say it because I don't sugarcoat things, is that tensions in Taiwan will not subside despite, despite the outcome of the local elections in Taiwan, which basically was a very clear and loud message to Tsai president's side. Well, governor's side, whatever you call her president, you call whatever. So, uh, because Taiwan is not an independent country. So yes, we use the term country because that's how the West can associate or understand, but technically or diplomatically, Taiwan has no representation in the UN, for example. Taiwan has no standing alone sovereignty. That's why you can't call it an independent country. So even though they use the term President Tsai or a governor— why do you use the term president but not a governor? And speaking of Tsai, I don't know if I shared this with you or not, I did confirm that her PhD was not conferred, which means officially and technically she cannot be called Dr. Tsai. If she does use the title, that's an academic fraud. So that's what I found out, and I do have the document, by the way. I kept it in my, uh, my, uh, in— I have it, I have the documentation for it. So the, uh, basically what it's gonna be, uh, it's what to anticipate for 2023, uh, as both the US and China continue, by the way, the trade war. Well, one thing you're gonna expect beside the Taiwan issue is the microchip, which is only going to intensify, you know. But at the same time, it's a reason being because both countries, China and the United States, they are going to be embarking on 2023 from a position of strength, both of them politically speaking, not economically, but politically speaking. What do I mean by this? You look at President Xi, who's been granted third term, And you look at President Biden, whose party, the Democratic Party, now has control of the Senate. Well, the reason why is that important? Because it's the Senate that ratifies the treaties with other countries. So you can just see why that would be both president— or both countries coming from a political strength that way. So, but the tensions will remain there when you consider what I talked about last time regarding the 2022 National Security Strategy, which was released just last month, or in October, and I did talk about it, so, which basically for that one in which the president highlighted the idea of US-led regional framework to support, to support the Asian Pacific strategies. Funny enough is that even Canada now is going to be allocating about $1.7 billion towards Asian Pacific strategies. What's wrong with those people? You know, you look at the economy in Canada, how it is. And by the way, housing prices in Canada are to the roof. People cannot afford to buy houses in Canada anymore. So the policies that the Prime Minister Trudeau is embarking on are not serving the Canadian people at all, of all denominations, none. And yet they are allocating $1.7 billion towards Asian Pacific strategies and so forth. So, well, that was exactly what it was in the US 2022 National Security Strategy, and one of them has to do with the strategies of, like, for example, AUKUS, the, uh, the Australia, UK, and US, which, by the way, the AUKUS and QUADS and all that, they are irrelevant. You won't see anything in 2023. That was just some sort of a window dressing to show or highlight to the rest of the world how united the West is and all, but all that, it's nonsense. It's nonsense because you look at, for example, the economies of Australia and UK. Are they in a position to just embark on a military stuff while the economy is going down? You know, no. And there are some of you from Australia here, I'm sure you can testify to that truth, how the economy is doing on the ground. You know, their, their mainstream media is not going to report the truth. This is what become pro— this is what has become problematic in the West. It's almost like nobody wants to hear the truth anymore, and if you speak the truth, you become labeled as the enemy. Since when in so-called democracy we have become this way? You know, I just don't get it. I really don't get it. So, so, but anyway, the Quad, and now there's a talk, what you will expect in 2023 is what we call Quad Plus. You know, what do I mean by this? You look at South Korea and Vietnam and New Zealand, uh, sort of becoming, uh, involved. They are not members but becoming involved in some meetings, whatever you want to call it. Same thing, why will Vietnam embark on something like this? Why would South Korea embark on something like this? New Zealand I can understand, because New Zealand cannot stand on anything on its own. New Zealand and Australia and Canada, to a degree, are doing what they are being told to do. It's no secret. And you look— when you look at the Five Eyes, you are no familiar with the, the intelligence apparatus of the Five Eyes. That, that's self-explanation right there. Now, there is one thing you need to look for in 2023, also in, in the East, and this one has to do with Singapore. Singapore and China agreed to resume military exercises. You all see what's coming, right? That's one of the trends you're gonna have to be look for— looking for in 2023. To what extent Singapore is going to even strengthen the ties with China. Because in both, during the ASEAN meeting and during the G20 summit meeting, it was clear, it was clear to everybody that ASEAN, Asian nations, countries in Asia, wants to remain neutral regarding the tensions between the US and China. That's the bottom line to that. Of course, we can't talk about 2023 without talking about Africa. You know, Africa— if, if Africa only realized the potentials it has, it has human capital and it has natural resources, you know. But there is one problem in Africa, that they need to get rid themselves of is corruption. Yes, it's very, very bad. So, and only Africans can deal with that. So here is my, my prediction for how I see things moving forward in Africa. Well, in Africa, uh, I do believe they're gonna try to avoid any economic downturn moving forward. You know why? It's because Uh, when you look at their, their potential growth of 3.2%, but the 3.2% is not, uh, referencing the entire, or a reflection of the entire continent. No, no, no, it's only in the, in the sub-Saharan part of it. So Africa's outlook for 2023, essentially, will shape the economic, the political, and the geopolitical landscape in the region moving forward. And the way to look at it— and I'm going to give you 3 examples or 2, you know, you look at Ghana, okay, why is that important? Because Ghana already announced, and I did mention this in one of the previous videos, Ghana already mentioned, uh, stated that they will be now accepting gold or dealing with gold when it comes down to energy transactions. That's a hint right there for you moving forward. This is why certain countries are hoarding gold for a reason, you know. The second one has to do with France. France is losing Africa faster than it can anticipate, you know. And what does it mean if France, that was the primer colonial power in Africa losing that. Like I mentioned, uh, in, in my previous video, uh, two of the former colonies of France, Algeria and Morocco, are switching from the French language into English. Of course there are those— and one of you guys put a comment for me that, but you just replacing another colonial by another one. Yeah, you got a point there, but just to be sort of, uh, realistic as to the expectations. Also, it will benefit those two countries, Morocco and Algeria, by embarking on English, because English is the business language around the world. You know, who deals with French language outside? No, nobody. But also by having France losing Africa, that paves the way for the U.S., for China and Russia. Okay, this is why you are witnessing right now as we speak tensions around the Red Sea area between United States, China, and Russia, even in Djibouti. And I was in Djibouti and I saw with my own eyes, you know, the presence of the Chinese there, uh, the Russians next door in Sudan, you know. And this is what you're going to be witnessing. So it will be some more tensions But when I say tensions, I'm referring to behind the scenes. Those will be either some block ops, something like, you know, that, that's just the possibility of this one. So, but you have to take this in, uh, within the context of the wealth of Africa, you know. Well, Africa's wealth is controlled by 3 countries, believe it or not. So South Africa with about $651 billion You have Egypt with, with about $307 billion, and you have Nigeria with about $228 billion. When you combine this in total, you'll get about $1.1 trillion, which basically it translates to, uh, uh, about 56% of Africa's total wealth of $2.1 trillion. That, that's, uh, and by the way, this one is different from GDP because they have the two different, uh, uh, data points or reference points by which they measure the wealth. So, and I'm not going to be talking about all that in details here. So it's just to highlight to you, uh, where things are headed. Moving forward. And this so far, uh, where I see, uh, things moving forward as far as predictions. So let me get on the chat room here to see if you have any questions. I'll answer it for you before I take off to go play around the golf, because it's sunny today and, uh, I don't like to stay in front of a computer too long either. All right, let's see who is— I'm gonna go to the top, all the way to the top from the beginning. This way I can see, and the, and the, the writing is so— oh, uh, uh, Prison Memoir, good to have you here from Ohio. The River from England. Uh, uh, Ravi from Toronto, Canada. You know, who else do we have here? Uh, Ronnie L from Malaysia in Hong Kong. Oh, Malaysian in Hong Kong. Hi, Ira. Uh, you have Ira from Iran. You know, speaking of Iran, uh, I'm glad you, you're here because it reminds me regarding Iran, there are those who say 2023 will see some sort of, uh an agreement between Iran and the West regarding JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. No, ain't gonna happen. It will not happen. I argued this the moment the US withdrew from it. I wrote a book about Iran, it's called Volatile State: Iran in the Nuclear Age, and I described— I detailed this particular aspect. What if, what if this deal breaks down, what Iran's going to do. So Iran now is— doesn't care whether JCPOA goes back or not. They will go back in one condition and one condition only: if the West agreed to go back to the original agreement, which I don't see them doing that. There was also another, uh, aspect of it that could Europe reach to Iran to give gas, because Iran has massive amount of gas. Natural gas. I don't see them doing that because Europe has no say. Europe cannot do— Europe does not have a standalone foreign policy. They won't be able to anyway. So, so that's why I say Iran is not gonna— Iran is gonna move forward. And once they are admitted into the BRICS, sky is the limit. So that's how I see it. So, uh, Dark Angel from Singapore, good to have you here. Uh, let me see again, uh, if you have a question, I'll be happy. Uh, Tulsi Gabbard, yes, she is a good leader. She's straightforward, she's honest, a former military. I'm very familiar with her. Yes, she will be a good leader, but you're all hearing how she's being treated by the mainstream media because they don't want to hear that. Well, that's the truth. That becomes on us American people to push forward with somebody like that, because the system is— is— I don't shy away from saying it— is corrupted to the core. It is corrupted to the core. Uh, we all know what is gonna need to be happening for that to change. That's like a building. When you start to see so many cracks in the building, one day is gonna collapse. So, uh, let me see. A question here. William Lee, thanks for being here. Uh, all right, here's a question from Joe Rao. Question: US, NATO, and Australia will continue militarizing the Indo-Pacific. At what point will Asia countries form a military alliance, say with BRICS? Or they will let neo-colonial powers to control? Great question. No, I don't see them forming an alliance. And first of all, uh, the BRICS will not be able to move into the military alliance. It won't. When you do military alliance, that means what? That means you are have to agree to use, uh, a system, military system, that is that all the members will have to use. And when you look at BRICS, no, Russia has its own system, China has its own system, India has its own, even though it purchased more weapons from Russia than it does from China. It's just the military aspect will not work. What, what Asia is going to do is remain neutral. Where the challenge is going to be is for countries like Philippines. Can they say no to to the US military presence there. Because you all know the part of the history about Philippines, that it was a US colony, and it was only till 1949, I believe, when they got independence. So, but Philippines has always been referred to in some US literature as the colony. So, so I don't see the military alliance, and the AUKUS and Quad, it's nothing but a window dressing. They will not have— yeah, they're not going to be able to do anything. So ASEAN are better served by focusing on the economy because that's what matters at the end of the day. So, uh, next question, let me see here. Uh, Greenery said, said, thank you for your analysis regarding various issues, Dr. David, you are most welcome. You know, you are most welcome. So, so this is, uh, uh, I'm just gonna conclude this one here, guys, by a final thought. It's, uh, just, just pay close attention to where you see things moving forward, even between now and the end of the year. And I'm gonna come on the air once again towards the end of the year, the last weekend of the year, or the first week of next year. And of course, we'll, we'll address a few things by then that we will see some trends as to where things are headed. In the meantime, I'm gonna be working on the, uh, webinar for you guys, and I'm also gonna work on that membership, which— because I've been thinking about doing, uh, one session just for the members where I only answer questions. I'm not gonna be talking about anything except to answer the most pressing questions you may have, and of course to the best of my abilities, and I'll share that with you. Well, as always, I can't thank you enough for your support. It means a lot, and it truly means a lot to me. And you know me by now, I'm not somebody who sugarcoat things. When I say thank you, I do mean it from the depth of my heart. I don't sugarcoat things. I don't need to, because to me there's no need for that kind of stuff, you know. Just be straightforward with people. So I look forward to seeing you next time, and as always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.