The phrase “may you live in interesting times” is the lowest in a trilogy of Chinese curses that continue “may you come to the attention of those in authority” and finish with “may the gods give you everything you ask for.” I have no idea about its authenticity.
There’s no denying it any longer: We live in interesting times. The stability of the era that started in 1945 has come to an end. Acknowledging this, there remain questions what is actually going on.
- The changes aren’t geographically limited. Trust in institutions is lower and populist and authoritarian ideas are now more common in the entire Western world than they were 10 years ago. Any explanation for the change we’re seeing must not only apply to any specific country like the United States. This means that anything like “it’s the fault of the political party I dislike” isn’t a valid explanation.
- The changes are fueled by dissatisfaction with institutions like government, the press and large parts of the business sector. To what extent is that dissatisfaction justified? Have those institutions become worse, is the dissatisfaction the result of us now seeing their faults more clearly, or is the dissatisfaction mostly due to demagoguery? If demagoguery plays a big role, why is it more prominent now than it was 10 years ago?
- How big are the changes we’re living through? Is the magnitude of change comparable to 1969, or is it bigger, comparable to the enlightenment revolutions of the late 18th century? How permanent are those changes? Do the present times resemble the 1930s, which saw an increase in authoritarianism that turned out to be temporary, and are we going to return to calmer, more enlightened times afterwards?
- Will what comes after be better or worse?
Nehaveigur 