Since I wrote some depressing, worst-case predictions over on my public blog, this is to accompany it: the best-case scenarios. These are things that I think there's a good chance of happening, and stuff that we might be able to take a hand in changing this year. 

Brexit won't be the cause of Britain's problems and might be indefinitely delayed

A lot of the worst that has been predicted about Brexit won't come true. Yet, at least, because we'll still be in the EU. And I have a sneaking feeling that it won't happen the year after, either. Maybe not even the year after that. Britain has realised by now that it has fewer legs to stand on in negotiations than a beanbag. That sounds bad, but in fact, it could be a good thing--it means that, under the pretence of securing the best deal for Britain, Brexit can be indefinitely delayed. They can throw time into negotiating more time for negotiations, which is no skin off Europe's nose. 

I think there's a very decent chance this could happen, just because of aforementioned being utterly, utterly fucked if they do Brexit, and a lingering belief that politicians aren't completely oblivious to the facts.

At least one major news outlet will fold

Print media is dying. This is an unavoidable fact. The Independent is already circling the drain, having gone mostly-digital with a website that is almost unusable. 

The industry is doing an absolutely horrible job of keeping up with a changing world, and putting out increasingly-desperate clickbait, both digitally and in the form of headlines. I think at least one of them will die in the year to come. My money's on the Telegraph, because they're resorting to rather desperate measures with their semi-paywall online, and there's always the largest stack of them left in my local newsagents. 

There probably won't be a nuclear war

Good god, things are bad when I have to say that mutually assured destruction probably won't happen. Just about the only upside to a world ruled by baby boomers is that they're rightly fucking terrified of nukes. They might bluster, but when it comes down to it, I can't see them acting. We've made it this far without obliterating the human race, we can do it a bit more.

Solidarity forever

It sounds weird for me to admit that I'm an optimist, but here we go: I'm actually a bit of an optimist. It's why I'm so angry all the time, because being an optimist leaves one very open to disappointment. 

As things get worse, it's natural to reach out to our fellow humans. This is something we can all do: check in with people we haven't heard from for a while. Offer material or emotional support for those who need it. Love our communities. Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living. 

See, politicians, the media, corporations are playing their hands too much. What they may not have noticed is this is causing hostility against them more than ever. And as we move away from them, we move towards the people who really matter: other human beings.

It'll get worse before it gets better

...but it will get better. The path ahead is hard. But we can do it. We've survived 2017. 2018 is the year we get our gloves out and fight back.