The 10 Most Insane Events of 2023
The craziest things from a crazy year.
Hey folks! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. I’m traveling this week and can’t write a full-length article. Enjoy this year-end recap, and I’ll see you all in 2024.
In Solidarity — Joe
Here are the 10 most insane events of 2023. It was a wild year, so I struggled to cut it down to just 10.
10. India becomes the most populated country. Overtaking China, India’s estimated population reached 1.43 billion people this year. Multiple factors led to India taking the #1 spot, most notably China’s population declined while India’s increased.
While China remains the reigning power in Asia for now, India’s population growth could shift that by attracting foreign capital and political attention that had previously gone to Beijing.
9. Climate change is here. In November, European Union scientists announced their findings that 2023 was the hottest year in over 125,000 years. The average air temperature of the globe was 1.7 degrees Celsius warmer than October averages during the pre-industrial period (1850 - 1900).
As climate change continues to alter weather patterns and destabilize food and water sources, the world can expect calamitous natural disasters, increased climate refugees, and more frequent resource wars.
8. The OceanGate submersible disaster. In June, the Titan submersible imploded while on a deep sea voyage to the wreckage of the Titanic. All five people onboard were lost, including the OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. It later emerged the company’s director of marine operations had warned Rush the Titan’s hull couldn’t withstand the water pressure, as well as several other issues with the vessel. Rush ignored the warnings, for which he and four others paid the ultimate price.
Ego is a dangerous thing.
7. Turkish earthquakes kill 67,000. In early February, a pair of 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude earthquakes shook Turkey and parts of Syria. Over 59,000 people were killed in Turkey, while another 8,000 perished in Syria, which was already ravaged by civil war.
An additional 17 million people were affected, with many losing their homes and possessions. The Red Cross estimates many families will have to live in temporary refugee camps for at least the next two years.
6. UFO Whistleblowers testify before Congress. Back in July, three military veterans testified to a Congressional hearing the U.S. government had a “multi-decade” program to reverse engineer recovered UFOs. One even claimed “biotics” (organic lifeforms) had been recovered from the crash site.
While many were quick to claim this was proof of contact with aliens, I find the Occam’s Razor explanation as much more likely: The U.S. recovered an unidentified spycraft from a foreign nation (probably the U.S.S.R. or China) during the Cold War, and layers of bureaucracy and secret clearance has led to speculation it was an extraterrestrial craft.
5. Indian Assasins in Canada. In June, Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated by masked gunmen outside a temple in Vancouver, Canada. An advocate for the independence of the majority Sikh Punjab region, Nijjar was wanted in India for crimes against the state.
In September, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of playing a role in the assassination, which India staunchly denied. A more recent indictment in New York claims India planned several more assassinations on American soil, which prosecutors allege were connected to the Nijjar’s killing.
4. Trump’s mugshot. After surrendering to the Fulton County Sheriff’s office for charges related to trying to rig the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump was arraigned and photographed. His well-rehearsed “tough guy” stare quickly broke the internet, and Trump’s campaign has raised millions selling memorabilia with the image.
3. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is jailed. Back in April of 2022, Imran Khan became the first Pakistani PM to be removed from office via a no-confidence vote. Later that year, the Election Commission barred him from running for office and someone tried to kill him.
This summer, Khan was found guilty of bribery charges by a court and quickly arrested. Just days ago, Khan’s appeal was rejected. He remains barred from running against the current PM in the elections scheduled for February 8th. Commentators both inside and outside Pakistan have lambasted the moves as politically motivated.
2. Kevin McCarthy is the first Speaker of the House to be removed. In a perfect display of the peak clown show that is American politics, Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker of the House to be removed by a motion to vacate.
Ostensibly, McCarthy was removed by members of his own party for working with Democrats to fund the government, though Representative Matt Gaetz’s long-time animosity for McCarthy was a clear motivator. Last week, McCarthy formally resigned from the House, effective December 31st.
1. The United States vetoes a United Nations ceasefire resolution in Gaza. On December 8th, the United Nations Security Council voted on a resolution for an immediate “cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian aid” into Gaza. The Security Council is comprised of five permanent members (U.S., U.K., Russia, China, France) and ten rotating members from the General Assembly. 13 members voted for the resolution, the United Kingdom abstained, and the United States was the sole “no” vote. As a permanent member of the Security Council, its vote carries veto power, striking down the ceasefire.
As of the time of writing, at least 20,000 Gazans have been killed by Israel, about 1% of the total population. Nearly the entire population has been displaced, and an estimated 66% of the population is homeless.
In another year full of absurd and unbelievable events, the United States singlehandedly condemning thousands of Gazans to starvation and bombardment takes the cake as the most insane thing to happen in 2023.
What do you think the most insane event of the year was? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks for a great year, everyone! This publication grew massively, and we’re poised to have an even better 2024. Enjoy your holidays — Joe