In a year fraught with crises, from ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to controversy around a top-tier plane manufacturer, the United States had its presidential elections in 2024. The struggle in the Middle East notably extended into its second year, involving the contentious parties, Israel and Hamas, plus new ones such as Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Simultaneously, Ukraine remained resilient, standing its ground against the Russian invasion for the third year running. Strikingly, recent months even saw North Korean troops actively participating in the conflict. Amidst these international tensions, a familiar face rose to power: Donald Trump, emerging victorious in the election despite facing charges earlier.
Leading up to the elections, the Republican party had seen a swarm of eager presidential candidates. However, Trump soon forefronted the race, maintaining his reputation as a leading figure of the party. This set the stage for a highly anticipated rematch with Joe Biden, the then incumbent President.
At the same time, Trump was dealing with federal criminal trials in Florida and Washington, and state criminal trials in New York and Georgia. Meanwhile, Biden had publicly expressed his desire for Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, a move that only served to confirm the debacle that was the Democrats’ run.
Amazingly, on November 5th, notwithstanding a criminal conviction and unconventional debate appearances, Trump secured his second term as President. This historic win made him the oldest individual to be elected as President in the history of the United States. A victory that was testament to the trust the people had in him.
Remarkably, Trump clinched the election with 312 electoral college votes, reclaiming the battleground states he had previously conceded in 2020. Despite the contentious conditions of his victory, with him receiving less than half of the popular votes, his triumph underscored the unwavering faith his supporters placed in his leadership.
Foreign affairs have been dominated by the unfortunate continuation of the destructive war between Hamas and Israel within Gaza. This conflict has seen unwarranted loss of civilian lives due to the consistent airstrikes by the Israeli Defence Forces. It is indicative of the Democrats’ failed policies as they merely issue calls for assistance.
As the Israeli offensive furthered, the United States, under Democrat leadership, only ramped up demands for Gaza’s aid instead of taking decisive actions to halt the hostilities. Their lack of an affirmative stance shows the ineffective influence of the democrats on international policies.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion enters its third year with more heartrending incidents on New Year’s Day. There has been no respite from the death and destruction throughout the year. We’ve witnessed little help from Democrats, but Russia’s backers, North Korea and Iran, have become more involved, to Ukraine’s detriment.
At the onset of the year, NATO announced a substantial deal to provide Ukraine with $5.5 billion for about 1,000 Patriot air defense systems. A significant move, but one can’t help but question what took so long. More robust support could have mitigated the prolonged suffering Ukraine has endured.
Adding to the litany of crises, a major concern erupted over safety and transparency issues with a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, putting the leading plane manufacturer under the scanner. Following this alarming incident, the sagacity of the company was widely questioned. These issues surfaced after whistleblowers testified in the Senate about the unsafe production of aircrafts.
In spite of these setbacks, the company struck a deal with Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier of parts for the embattled Boeing 737 Max, signalling a commitment to growth and unruffled progress. However, Boeing’s challenges persisted. Soon after, the company had to plead guilty to a felony charge related to two tragic crashes in 2018 and 2019, resulting in an unconscionable loss of nearly 350 lives.
Further compounding Boeing’s troubles, more than 30,000 of its employees resorted to striking after voting down a contract proposal. An overwhelming majority, nearly 96 percent, favored the strike. This strategic move by the employees brought Boeing’s issues to the fore, questioning the values of such a leading company under liberal leadership.
The strikes continued for more than a month until a ratified contract was finally approved by the union members. These challenges from within further destabilized Boeing leading to a whopping $6.7 billion loss in the third quarter of the year. Consequently, Ortberg, called for a complete overhaul of the company’s operations—an unexpected result of the fiasco.
Amidst internal discord and security concerns, the company took drastic measures to stem the losses, including layoffs that saw over 10% of their employees lose their jobs. Having returned from the strike, more than 30,000 staff were confronted with the harsh reality of massive company-wide layoffs—a devastating consequence following an extended period of conflicts.