© EFE
Polling by Ipsos MORI revealed that Britons were most likely people to think that a major terrorist attack in their country is likely - with two thirds of us thinking the country will be hit by terror.
Elsewhere, two in five (39 per cent) of us think that a USA-North Korea war is likely, while another two in five (43 per cent) think that President Trump will be impeached this year.
Comment: Meanwhile the UK conservative government only just managed to slither into power by making dodgy deals with a highly questionable party based in Northern Ireland, most of the voting public had never even heard of, and since forming the coalition have been plagued by scandals and infighting. But it's Trump whose future looks bleak!
But despite all of these concerns, two thirds of us still say we are optimistic that 2018 will be a better year for us personally.
© IPSOS MORI
Following a spate of terror attacks in 2017, 65 per cent of Britons think it's likely that another attack will be carried out in the UK this year.
This is higher than Turkey (60 per cent), France (53 per cent), Germany (51 per cent) and the US (51 per cent).
These countries are in sharp contrast to most of the other countries surveyed by Ipsos MORI - with less than one in four people in most of the 29 countries surveyed thinking an attack would be carried out.
© IPSOS MORI
Tense relations between the US and North Korea and the unpredictable nature of their two leaders have increased our fears about war between the two nations.
Two in five of us (39 per cent) think a war between North Korea and the US is likely - even though a similar proportion (42 per cent) think it unlikely.
Britons' viewpoints on this matter reflect the world average, with a 42-40 per cent divide in favour of thinking war is likely.
However, South Koreans - one of the nations with the most to lose from conflict - are the ones who think it most unlikely (66 per cent believe it's unlikely while only 21 per cent think it likely).
© ISPOS MORI
This is higher than the global average, with only Canadians and Turks being similarly pessimistic about Trump's chances.
A third of Americans think it likely the President will be impeached, while almost half of them (49 per cent) think it's unlikely.
All of this turmoil is expected to happen against a backdrop of increasing Russian influence - with half of the world's surveyed countries believing that Russia's influence on world affairs will increase.
Economic gloom approaching
Despite almost half of us (46 per cent) thinking that the global economy will be stronger in 2018 than 2017, many of us are concerned about the stock markets and Britain's prospects.
Comment: This goes to show, as is often the case, public perception and reality are often at odds: UK economic collapse accelerating: 28% increase in shops going bust, biggest slump since 2009, food and fuel prices rise
A quarter of us think that that the stock markets will crash in 2018 - compared to 28 per cent globally, with those in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and India being the most worried.
These is a large gulf between developed and emerging countries in terms of perceptions on the global economy.
Emerging economies such as China, India and Peru are most likely to think the global economy will be stronger in 2018 than 2017, with more than four in five people in each country saying so. Developed nations such as Italy, Japan and France are the least confident.
© IPSOS MORI
Which countries had the highest levels of personal optimism?
Despite all of these negative forecasts for the upcoming months, two in three Britons are optimistic that 2018 will be better than 2017.
We are, however, less optimistic than most other countries. The countries with the highest levels of personal optimism for 2018 are Columbia (93 per cent say 2018 will be better for them than 2017), Peru (93 per cent), Chile (88 per cent) and China (88 per cent).
Optimism is lowest in Italy, France and Japan - all of which are more gloomy about 2018 than us in Great Britain.
Comment: Assessing reality objectively can be depressing but it sure beats blind optimism.
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI, said: "The British public is looking forward to 2018 with a mixture of hopes and fears. Most of us think that 2018 will be a better year than 2017, but otherwise we have worries both at home and abroad.
"Britons are the most likely to expect a major terrorist attack in 2018, while two in five think a war between the US and North Korea is likely.
"Britons also expect global temperatures to keep on increasing, and, like several other European countries, are relatively less optimistic about the global economy then people in emerging economies (although not quite as pessimistic as last year)."
Comment: According to the article, the British public think the world will erupt into (even more) war, the UK will suffer a terror attack and more political turmoil, but the future is bright?!
The majority of responses show how misinformed the British public really is. They're choosing to believe what they're told by their corrupt elected officials and the establishment owned mainstream press over what they experience in their own lives, and the blowback that will occur as their delusions can no longer be maintained could be disastrous:
- NHS cuts and flu crisis push UK hospitals to the brink - Doctors describe 'third world conditions' and 'system fail'
- UK's abysmal rail companies hike fares again, meanwhile customer horrified over sexist name
- Heaviest snowfall in four years brings travel chaos to UK
- Whistleblower exposes 'poverty, hunger and suicidal despair' now being felt by those relying on the UK Government's new universal credit system
- UK: Food poverty 'now a health emergency'
- UK secretly training Saudi troops for war on Yemen, 'against Geneva conventions'
In the latter half of the 20th Century, The UK stayed afloat mainly by means of its so-called 'soft power', i.e. education for foreign students, culture, music, fashion, nightlife,media, etc.
After the Brexit vote came in, The British Government should have taken immediate measures to secure, increase and consolidate UK positions as regards 'soft power'. Instead, they've done either nothing in service to that, or they've done the opposite.
They should have immediately repealed the smoking ban, to free up the creative sector viz. pubs, clubs, music, nightlife. They should have lifted the enormous tax burdens on small businesses, and implemented measures against the ludicrous rent burden on shopkeepers, and made it easier for foreign students to come and study here, instead of harder. As I understand it, The British and Commonwealth Office is considering slashing its consulate services and putting everything on-line, so The UK will have next-to-zero overseas profile, and if you're a Brit abroad in trouble, you're screwed, basically.
The phrase 'utter suicidal madness' springs to mind.