We have entered a new era

As in August 1914 and September 1939, the world has changed. The previous age has ended.

Our era has ended and another has begun, just as fraught with unknown terrors as the two previous ones.

Perhaps that is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meant when he spoke of a Zaeitenwende or turning point in history.

The 19th century (1815-1914) was largely one of peace and progress., at least in Europe. The latter half of the 20th century and the first part of thee 21st century (1945-2022) was a 77-year period of peace and progress, broadly speaking, with cultural decay accelerating toward the end.

Then, Evil, pure unadulterated Evil, reappeared on the European stage of human history. As it did in 1933.

Evil. The Devil. The Evil One.

How we had forgotten about Evil, with all of our scientific and technical advances, living we thought in a world of reason.

Yet Unreason was still alive, and lurking in the background to challenge our democracy, our life of reason, and indeed the proposition that Reason would—or could—prevail.

All of our law, our U.N. Charter and U.N. Charter-related institutions developed to govern a planet with eight billion people, were suddenly, violently, called into question.

Relatively few people understood what had happened.

Most did not.