The pessimist

Elise Cagnard, Opinions Columnist

Over the last few years, it seems like humankind cannot seem to catch a break. Unfortunately, I think we will all be disappointed. Here is my list of burdens we will face in 2023:

A recession is coming our way. While there is much debate about the exact timeline of when it will hit, many experts believe it will likely happen midway through 2023. As Shahab points out, it is likely that the Federal Reserve will start to lower interest rates, which will come as a relief to many. However, any policy implementation that lowers interest rates will in turn bring on the recession, but Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has stated that lowering inflation is his current number one priority.

Additionally, every new year without an overhaul of our current climate efforts in turn for implementation of more radical climate policy brings us closer and closer to our own destruction. This year has brought significant advances in the U.S. climate strategy, including the most recent United Nations Climate Change conference. Unfortunately, it is still not enough, and without more drastic systematic measures, nothing will help.

Most importantly, I was unable to acquire tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. This means that while millions will be enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience, I will be bitterly sitting at home watching the live streams on TikTok.


Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.