An Era for the Ages

Years from now historians will look back on this time -- this wild, amazing, perplexing, infuriating time we live in -- and wonder what in the world we were up to. Others, like yours truly, wonder every day about the state of our sanity. For it truly is a time defined by brilliance and, unfortunately, idiocy and lunacy. The problem, however, is that for those of us scoring at home, idiocy and lunacy have a HUGE lead over anything resembling brilliance. Possibly an insurmountable lead. Indeed, if our scoring is correct -- and who's to say it isn't? -- it might take years to even things out.

So, let us count.

On the brilliance side, we've got:

• Mind-boggling technology. Smart phones that do just about everything but wash our clothes, pads that rival those on Star Trek, cars you can talk to and that park themselves, an ability to connect to just about anyone on the planet at nearly the speed of light. Wires will soon be a thing of the past. Watch TV on a television? How gauche. Machines that can watch our brain think and that can almost see our thoughts. Software that types what you say. Dick Tracy watches that allow you to see who you're talking to? Been there, done that.

• Fuel-efficient transportation. Not quite alternative fuel automobiles, but we're getting there. Hybrids and, finally, electric cars offer viable options to fossil fuel-powered cars. The door is open and the rush is on. Even Detroit -- yes, Detroit! -- is producing reasonably cool hybrids and electric vehicles. At very long last.

• Advances in medicine. Surgery without scalpels. Diseases fatal just 10 years ago can now be managed long-term; some are even curable. Researchers on the cusp of developing treatment and cures for the most deadly of diseases. As a result, we're living longer and better. Many of us, anyway. Too bad health care is prohibitively expensive and millions don't have access to it. Too bad others are working hard to prevent access to those who aren't able to pay. So much for being the wealthiest country on the planet.

That's the good side. It's a short list, but try as I might, nothing else qualifies. Tell me I'm wrong.

On the idiocy, lunacy, what-were-they-thinking? side, the list is long. Here are just some:

• A greed-inspired economic disaster. A near global economic meltdown caused, in no small part, by the machinations of a select few who were then handsomely and grotesquely rewarded for their efforts by our government. Thank you, Goldman Sachs, thank you U.S. Treasury Department, thank you U.S. Congress. Millions out of work, tens of thousands forced out of their homes. Millions more unable to retire in the foreseeable future. This disaster has had such widespread and long-term effects that the merits of home ownership, a foundation of our economy, are now in question. While a very few are too big to fail, the rest of us are not. Thanks, again, to those of you who became wealthy beyond reason at the expense of all of us.
  

• Global warming: What's to worry? Speaking of meltdown, our widespread complacency regarding climate change makes the list. Amazing that we're able to overlook the data and continue nearly as normal. Read Al Gore's article in this week's Rolling Stone magazine or, better, yet, Mark Hertsgaard's terrific book, Hot. Both will anger you and inspire you. And while the recent multitude of natural disasters may not be directly connected to global warming, don't you think someone is trying hard to send us a message? Something akin to 'Wake up and smell your planet changing -- before it's too late.'
  

• Costly wars abroad vs. 'nation-building' at home. Even as we wage expensive and illegal wars -- now Libya? -- at a combined cost of roughly $10 billion per month, community after community throughout the country is forced to lay off police and teachers. Might our priorities be a bit askew? Just asking.
  

• Religion trumps science. Not unlike the Dark Ages, faith is being used by many to debunk long-standing scientific findings. Creationism and 'intelligent design' are taught side-by-side with evolution in school classrooms in a variety of states. Mark Twain said it best in 1897: "In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards." Do some also hold fast to the notion, despite enormous evidence to the contrary, that the sun revolves around the earth? Undoubtedly.

• When church crushed state. Remember how church and state were to exist separately in this country? Ha! Members of Congress who represent one segment of one religion are able to dictate to everyone what is and what is not an 'appropriate' lifestyle. And, in the process, define marriage -- which we erroneously thought was a religious concept. Even so, way to go, New York! You've now joined Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa (Iowa!), and Washington, D.C. as states allowing all people, regardless of sexual orientation, to marry. Nice.
  

• The other side of each story. News that's not really 'news'? Ever have doubts about Fox News, especially when study after study shows their viewers to be the most misinformed? Check out an interesting interview between Chris Wallace and Jon Stewart. Aside from Wallace's attempts to equate Comedy Central and Jon Stewart with news, listen for Wallace's views as to what Fox News does. Hint: It's about providing the 'other side' of news stories -- despite the network's mantra of being 'fair and balanced'. The interview is nearly 15 minutes, but worth the time.
  

• A loss of perspective. As technology connects us like never before, our ability to remain disconnected is as strong as ever. How else to explain famine and disease throughout the world that go unaided? Where's the hue and cry? Will history look back on us as a civilization that could have but elected not to?

Is this the best of times, the worst of times? Possibly. But, based on our scoring, it's leaning heavily to the worst of times. Maybe it's time we each stepped in and did something about it. Just sayin'.

Have a good week.