I'm not sure when the most dangerous time to live might be, or may have been. Apparently, some think it is now. My personal opinion is all eras are dangerous. Some may have, or had, increased risks. I can't think of any period of my life where I felt life was on a precipice. A few days or weeks with elevated fears and tensions? Sure, I can think of a few. April and May of 1972, 1979 at the peak of the Iran crisis, 1987 after the market crash, 1991 as Iraq was pushed out of Kuwait, September 2001. I was too young during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but I'm told that was a very shaky time. There may be one or two other moments I've forgotten, but 'dangerous time', to me, is almost every day. Which is to say, so common it's not really all that dangerous.
I focus on the fact, in general, our lives are improving. Today, most of us hold more computing, audio and video power in our pocket, at a reasonable cost, and this device can help us control our houses, cars, and money with a few swipes. We text or call someone and are sure they got a message. Our diets are vastly improved, our choice of diets extensive, and we have more options regarding the quality and types of foods. When I was in my teens, few people had flown in a plane. Today, most have. I was the first of my friends to visit Europe in 1976. Today, most of them have kids who have vacationed or studied abroad.
So why might it be a dangerous time? I can think of only two reasons. Both are silly, and each comes from different mindsets.
First, as our lifestyles improve, we become jealous and envious of what others have. This is the essential problem around discussion of economic inequality. There is no evidence (literally none, though Piketty and some other pinheads tried to make a case which has been pretty solidly debunked) that economic inequality makes us worse off. If that were true, we wouldn't have that computing power in our pockets at such a reasonable cost. What does happen is we want what others have as our positions improve. When I bought my first condo apartment, I became desirous of what others had in theirs. Prior to that, I didn't care much about what was in my apartments, because I moved frequently enough to keep boxes minimal. Since that time, I've learned 'stuff' is overrated. But envy is what drives class warfare, not any sense of real economic doom. We're not economically incapacitated, we just feel like we are. We don't like that feeling, even though we're fooling ourselves. Seneca once wisely stated, "We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality."
The second is the stupidity of elitist leaders. Biden put on an epic performance of philosophical illiteracy yesterday. He warned that democracy was at risk of collapse, and the world's democracies are at some kind of crossroads. Of course, the nature of democracy is it's constant risk of collapse. It's an inherently unstable political structure, the 'will of the people'. It's also capable of being attacked from external sources (though this faith our leaders have that Russia somehow 'tampered' with the election is laughable. Even if they were the culprits, and I doubt they were, all they did was expose a crime). What's really funny about Clown-in-Chief Diamond Joe is that he's just so out of touch, having plagiarized his way to a JD. Joe's fear about democracy's imminent collapse is based on the misguided belief that fundamental power structures must be constantly strengthened and expanded to assure democracy's survival. He views democracy as a 'top down' approach to leadership and society. But democracy needs to be renewed from time to time, torn down, rebuilt, torn down again - by the people. It's not as efficient a model as the market in providing what people want or need (and I would personally argue is almost unnecessary - almost), but if we understand this critical point about democracy, we'd stop worrying about the silly stuff Diamond Joe says is worrisome. Of course, as the fool of the elitists speaking to his paymasters, I guess it's no surprise he would exhibit such ignorance.
Is this a dangerous time to live? Maybe. You might get hit by a bus, I may break my leg stepping in a pothole, someone will certainly lose their job today. It's pretty dangerous out there. Could there be a war? Well, Obama has been at war with some nation every year of his presidency, so that's a given. Is democracy in peril? Maybe. I doubt it. But fools like to worry people about foolish things, and elitists want us to be scared of the bogeymen they create so they can impose more 'safety' and protect us from ourselves.
No, I don't think it's that dangerous. In fact, I think it's the best time to live, and it's getting better. There will be ups and downs along the way. There may be some frightening events, some tricky times, maybe even a war or two. But we're getting smarter and better, and the real problems are being created by our governments, even as we individuals continue to improve ourselves and our lives each and every day. One reason I don't worry too much about Trump is because with Obama I stopped caring what the government does and started focusing on myself even more than I had before. It's the only way to generate a positive outcome. Government isn't here to help, and never will be. All we can do is help ourselves and hope government stays out of our way. Which is precisely why democracy is not at risk.
