The year 2016 will go down as an interesting one, but was it magnificent, horrible or stupid? Or perhaps all three
Annus mirabilis? 🇬🇧
For some people, 2016 was a good year, an annus mirabilis. If you voted for Trump or are brexiteer who voted to leave the European Union, 2016 was a good year.
If you are a climate change denier, you probably enjoyed 2016 too. If you are a member of a far right or populist political party, you are sitting pretty. Marine Le Pen looks happy, as do Vladimir Putin and Nigel Farage.
Annus horribilis? 🇪🇺
If none of the above applies to you then 2016 was a horrible year, an annus horribilis. Liberal metropolitan elite? Welcome to the post-truth politics (previously known by the catchy name “lies”). Who needs experts anymore?
Annus stupidus? 🇺🇸
Whatever camp you are in, it is hard not to agree with Dan Jones analysis that 2016 was an annus stupidus [1] – a silly season that was twelve whole months long. Where else would seeing a cartoon of Boris Johnson getting “diplomatic” with Donald Trump been unremarkable – (see picture top right)? Here’s hoping for some sanity to return in 2017. Have a happy and sane holiday, and a prosperous new year.
References
- Jones, Dan (2016) Trumpageddon is awful but America has seen far worse, London Evening Standard, November 11th.
O'Really? 