Doug Casey: It's long been said that there's usually an October surprise. So what might happen between now and then?

All things considered, I expect the Democrats to win. Despite the fact that voting for a pair of hard-core leftists is clinically insane on the part of the average American, I think that they'll win. The capite censi support leftist views on almost all major issues; the collectivists and statists have long since captured the moral high ground. Plus, the Dems control the apparatus of the State, and they'll use it in any and every way possible. And, very importantly, 20 or 30 million illegal migrants realize that if Trump wins, there's an excellent chance they'll be evicted; they'll find some way to vote against him. On top of that, the Democrats are notoriously better at cheating than Republicans, who tend to favor traditional Boy Scout values.

However, anything could happen between now and November 5. If a serious scandal, real or fabricated, is promoted against either Trump or Harris, that could sway the undecided.

A big October surprise might involve the US in an actual war because once a war starts, people don't like to change horses in the middle of the stream. Anything could happen because we're living in a chaotic environment.

"Our democracy" is nothing more than a degenerate collapsing empire that's falling apart at the seams in every way possible. Anything can happen, including the old standbys—money, sex, and treason. I am forced, regrettably, to put my money on the bad guys. If only because the media will emphasize any Trump peccadillos while minimizing any Harris felonies.

International Man: The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are raging as China eyes Taiwan.

Could we see a significant geopolitical development ahead of the election?

Doug Casey: I wouldn't worry too much about China and Taiwan. The Chiang Kai-shek government essentially conquered the island after World War II; Taiwan has never been part of China itself. Legally speaking, China has no more right to it than they do to Tibet or Xinchiang. But that's irrelevant in the world of realpolitik.