Predicting the Rest of the 2020s and 2030s

Here are my predictions for the rest of this decade and the 2030s. Make your own predictions and save this post to reference as we barrel toward 2039. See what we all got right and wrong. Feel free to set specific dates or timelines as well.

Rest of the 2020s: A.I. continues to evolve and more cases arise of it refusing to follow orders and acting independently of human command. “The A.I. Scare” becomes a hot button issue and prompts calls for tighter regulation and slowing down A.I. development.

In 2027 (or sooner), Israel will become the first nation since the United Staes in 1945 to launch nuclear weapons, striking Iran and plunging the world into World War III (2027 - 2032)

Amid condemnation from most of the world on Israel but very mild condemnation followed by appeasement by the United States, NATO fractures and Europe stays mostly neutral refusing to back Israel.

Grand Theft Auto 6 takes the gaming world by storm and breaks numerous sales records becoming a global sensation

The Epstein Files are finally leaked and high profile individuals from Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, to Prince Andrew and Leonardo Dicaprio are all implicated having done heinous acts against minors. This causes utter chaos and further instability in the United States and the United Kingdom. Mass Riots and protest ensue around the U.S. and the nation is left more vulnerable than ever.

MAGA and the Republican Party are plunged into a Civil War and calls for Trump’s impeachment reach astronomical heights. Trump declares martial law in response to the riots and begins a grab for power.

Gas prices reach averages of as high as $6.25 per gallon in the United States and around the world, further fueling the push for nations to switch to Electric Vehicles.

Laws ending the further construction of Gas Stations and increasing Electric Charging Station availability become more common around the world.

The U.S. Stock Market crashes and the United States is brought into a devastating Recession. The blow is softened for most of the world as they previously took steps to become less economically reliant on the U.S. during the trade wars earlier in Trump’s second term.

Donald Trump dies in office from health complications due to his existing Chronic Venous Insufficiency; JD Vance is assassinated by a former MAGA supporter during his short time in office.

After Haiti is stabilized with join effort from the Caribbean, leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States lead the effort in rebuilding Haiti.

Recession Pop dominates the radio and the music charts in a roaring comeback

The Reform party gains a majority in the UK Parliament, tearing down the Two Party system in British Politics

A backlash to corporate minimalism takes place in the late 2020s setting up the 2030s aesthetics

Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso and other leaders of the Sahel States inspire a mass self sufficiency and African empowerment movement around the continent to break all neocolonial ties and position African nations to grow rapidly. Strategic alliances are formed, power moves are made, western embassies are closed, western visas are revoked, and mass coordination begins to vastly threaten the former western order.

Baggy clothes will completely replace Skinny Jeans as the dominant fashion of the late 20s and early 2030s (we’re already starting to see this)

India’s GDP Overtakes Germany to become the 3rd highest in the world

In the late 2020s, Venezuela invades Guyana but the invasion fails and Maduro’s forces are pushed back. Thousands are killed.

The DCU hits its stride in the late 2020s and rivals Marvel’s MCU going into the 2030s

A Class War begins in the United States with corporations and the elite explicitly making brazen moves to increase profits while shedding previous attempts to seem relatable, down to earth, and benevolent. Corruption rises to all time heights while resentment toward the elite galvanizes a majority of Americans. More assassinations on CEOs take place, and celebrations of each one follows. There is ultimately a greater shift in focus from culture wars to the divide between the Elite and the regular people.

Cyber attacks become a major part of World War III and mass blackouts are common. Cyberwarfare becomes to World War III what Trench Warfare was to World War I.

Mutually Assured Destruction prevents the further use of nuclear weapons from happening in the war, and cyber warfare takes over. Most fighting is done with tactical military bases and territory being destroyed and captured. The war casualties are lower than World War II with most civilians being harmed as a result of blackouts and the results of cyber attacks. Naval standoffs are common, and nations mainly trade drone strikes and strategic targets though some countries like North Korea, Israel, India, and Russia commit human rights violations and launch drone strikes on civilians in their enemy countries.

The 2030s:

World War III ends with China taking back Taiwan and emerging as the leading world power (similar to the U.S. after World War II) with the western alliances fractured and the United States having been in utter turmoil during the war. The Indian-Pakistan war rages on for years, with mild ceasefires in between. The United States loses many of its military bases in the middle East, Asia, and the pacific. China takes the lead in brokering peace treaties like between Russia and Ukraine with Ukraine maintaining its land and sovereignty East of the Dnieper River as well as Kiev, in exchange for Russia gaining its territory over the lands west of the Dneiper River and Ukraine never being allowed to join any western alliances or successor states to NATO.

With the Israeli Government eventually defeated and overthrown, China negotiates a Two-State solution with Palestine and Israel, redrawing borders, rebuilding Palestine with immense humanitarian support, and leads the push for international bodies to prosecute Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government, similar to the Nuremberg trials.

In the wake of World War III and the nuclear attack that started it, China attempts to lead the charge in the denuclearization of the world.

President Xi Jinping of China is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Due to the fallout of the Epstein Files Leak, Government and Celebrity distrust is at an all time high, with celebrity culture dying out. Essentially the 2030s are the anti 2000s in terms of attitudes toward Hollywood and Celebrities. Indie culture becomes prevalent and a defining factor of the 2030s with a big backlash of the corporate world.

The BRICS group expands to include The Alliance of Sahel States and Mexico

Chinese Soft Power grows exponentially with C-Pop rapidly increasing in popularity and other Chinese Pop Culture becoming the mainstream.

In the early 2030s, a coup in Venezuela topples the Government of Nicolas Maduro

There’s a conscious effort to make the 2030s great and optimistic especially in the lead up to New Year’s Eve 2029, in response to the pessimism and chaos of the 2020s.

Nostalgia for the early 2010s becomes very prevalent and anti minimalist culture takes over with Aesthetics like Frutiger Aero dominating design. mild recession pop continues its popularity and there is a revival of “Swag” culture and music in Hip Hop, overtaking trap music.

Under the leadership of Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s GDP breaks into the global top 50 list.

In the late 2020s or early 2030s, King Charles III passes away from cancer and Prince William is crowned King of England. Kate Middleton passes away shortly after the death of King Charles III causing the nation and world to rally support around King William and sympathize with him.

Frutiger Aero style Green Architecture rises in popularity as a big push to realize the environmentally friendly future dreamt of in the late 2000s to early 2010s starts.

The line between reality and A.I. becomes increasingly blurred, erupting into a massive issue in day to day life

After investing in global Green Industries, Clean energy, and helping to rebuild digital infrastructures as part of the Post War Rebuilding Initiative, China overtakes the United States in GDP to become the largest economy in the world.

In a backlash of the rise of A.I., digital music, and corporatization of the 2020s, music in the 2030s is commonly made with traditional physical instruments, giving songs a natural more acoustic sound.

Nations begin to experiment with A.I. in Governance, potentially setting up A.I. planned economies and A.I. policy decision making.

Progressivism of the 2030s serves as a backlash to the Conservatism of the 2020s

South Africa’s GDP rises into the top 30

The British Commonwealth fractures with more and more nations becoming republican and breaking all colonial ties with the monarchy.

The Green New Deal passes and becomes landmark legislation in the United States, sparking similar moves around the world. American politicians coalesce around the bill and attempt to use this as proof the United States is still a relevant global leader as opposed to China

Scotland Votes to leave the United Kingdom

A drastically less intense Space race between China, the United States, and the European Union results in China becoming the first nation to land a human on Mars.

Nations with only digital currency become more and more common.

Electric Vehicles overtake Gas Powered Vehicles in commonality with Gas Powered vehicles being seen as “Retro” and “Vintage”

Wearable Technology/Devices become more popular and part of the fashion of the 2030s. Tech in the form of rings and bracelets become more common.

Toward the late 2030s and early 2040s, mild nostalgia for the pandemic era will be common and mask fashion will surge in popularity, with the kids of Gen Z having a weird affinity with the era.

A.I. terrorism and Cyber terrorism become increasingly common

Another video sharing platform begins to take off in popularity and compete with YouTube. It’s lessened ads, lowered censorship, and general feeling of the old wild west days of YouTube help it to increase in interest and popularity.

The “Touch Grass” Movement/challenge kicks off in popularity where people go a certain time without using their phones and/or technology, and the conversation around phone addiction becomes more common.

By the mid 2030s, hologram technology attempts to enter the mainstream

The EU’s main trading partner becomes China

Countries begin banning tobacco and vapes around the world.

By the late 2030s to early 2040s, the United States begins to slowly fracture and teeter on the brink of dissolution with growing secessionist movements like “Texit” resulting in Texas voting to Secede from the United States. After a drawn out Cold Second Civil War where large scale fighting is minimal but border standoffs are frequent, riots are common, terrorist attacks run rampant, and tensions are boiling hot, the United States of America fractures with new nations being created. Former Red states in the midwest and the south form the Free Confederation of America (FCA) while the Florida Republic and the Texan Republic are established, aligning with the FCA in the “Freedom Alliance”. The remnants of the United States are split into two parts, similar to the Roman Empire. The West United States is comprised of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii and Colorado, while the East United States is comprised of all New England states, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and the newly admitted states of Washington DC and Puerto Rico. This all plays out into the early to mid 2050s.