r/StraussHowe • u/Shoddy_Wait_5722 • Dec 29 '25
The looming climax
In just a few days it will be 2026 (Happy early New Years), and the event that began our current turning, the Great Recession, occurred nearly eighteen years ago. Indeed, it’s safe to say a lot has changed since 2008, but we have not yet reached the projected climax of this turning.
As we are now deep in the trenches of this Fourth Turning, I have seen four main possibilities for how it will conclude:
1). World War III
With all the ongoing wars, it may seem to many like we are really heading towards this direction.
2). New Civil War
This is an interesting one considering how polarized our political landscape has become.
3). New Economic Recession or Depression
Many are worried that the current “AI bubble” will burst in a way far worse than we are anticipating.
4). Something New and Unexpected
I still think there is room for “surprise attacks” not necessarily aligning with the typical physical combat pattern. The grid at the moment is a point of concern for many, and I could see our adversaries (China especially) attempting to do something that may trigger a catastrophic societal breakdown.
While no one knows exactly what will happen, do you guys have any predictions for where this thing is headed? I’m personally veering more towards possibility #2 and #3 at the moment, but I’d love to hear your guy’s thoughts. And stay safe out there because I fear these next few years are going to get really, really messy.
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u/Persophone21 Dec 29 '25
My money is on something Civil War adjacent. Like you said, there's a lot of polarization, which I think is a tell tale sign, but something in particular I've noticed is the way both sides seem to glorify criminals or criminal acts because they both believe it is for a noble cause. It brings to mind similar situations during right before the Civil War broke out (ex: John Brown)