Quake shakes subcontinent; thousands feared killed
Mudslide destroys Guatemala village
Bali death toll rises
Romania reports new bird flu cases in Danube delta
Six U.S. Marines Killed in Two Bombings in Iraq
Jesus, what the hell is happening to us?
Okay, no, I'm not an apocalyptic wingnut, and I don't believe in connections between mudslides, earthquakes, terrorism, disease, and war. And sure, the media always put the scariest headlines at the top of the list. It's just that I got up this morning, checked out the day's news, and felt like I was smacked by a 2-by-4. And I didn't even mention the (probably bogus) NYC subway threat, among a thousand other headlines.
Are we living in times that seem increasingly perilous? Is there any combination of enlightened philosophy and policy that can help bring us back toward some sanity, and protect us from the seemingly inevitable chaos that is rushing toward us? I know this: any politician or party that wants to gain the confidence of the citizenry must confront the growing fear, anxiety, doubt, even fatalism that is arising in our world. Don't offer polyanna, all-is-well smiley-face ideology: that's precisely the primrose path we've been led down for years, now. Face reality, prepare for Hard Times, and offer the window of hope through collective support and compassion.
Anyway, that's how I felt this morning.