New year not promising to be any better than the old
As usual, the year’s end brings reflections and ruminations on what was and what is to be. This time around, however, it feels as though an era is coming to an end.
That gentle frisson between past and future about which columnists customarily write feels vaguely apocalyptic as we approach the new year.
The usual regrets — too much ice cream, not enough exercise, too quick with a retort, not enough thank-you notes — all feel quaintly irrelevant juxtaposed against a collection of very real fears about the future. During a year and a half of bitter political infighting — sister against sister, neighbor against neighbor — we’ve lost a better part of ourselves and unleashed armies of vengeful strangers.
To put a fine point on it, Donald Trump’s election has released a malevolent spirit upon the land. He invoked the magic message — essentially them vs. us — and the demons disembarked from their dark hiding places. He raided the lost ark, lifted the lid, and the whirlwind of humankind’s worst impulses escaped.
http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/parker-new-year-not-promising-to-be-any-better-than-the-old/#
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