I’m getting so tired of the Right and its constant viewing of the world through shit-colored glasses. “The world is on fire!!”, “Our cities are like war zones!”, “Gun confiscation is coming!”, “Hyperinflation is right around the corner!”

Historically, by now, 70 years after the last time, Europe should have had at least one big shooting war between major powers, with lots of civilian casualties and displacements. We should have had a couple Depressions, too. There are small riots in the occasional city, like Milwaukee this weekend, but nothing to compare to the riots of the 1960s. Violent crime has dropped precipitously since the 1990s. Sure, everything isn’t coming up roses, but for shit’s sake, we’re not on the verge of DOOOMMM!!!!!!

I can’t imagine why that view of things is more seductive than reality, but at least for a big chunk of America, it is, and it’s SO BAD that we need to give up on democracy in favor of a Strong Man who will keep us safe as we huddle behind our walls and try to remake our economy from a modern, information and trade-based economy into a coal-burning, polluting revisit to the 1950s - “We’ll reopen the mines!”.