In the past decade, we have the climate, and democracy in the emergency Department. We continue to enjoy ourselves anyway.

"Four legs good, two legs bad" bleating of the sheep in Orwell photo: view angle/imago

the turn of The year, I read George Orwell's "animal Farm" again. "A fairy tale", which was originally read as a parable about Stalinism. The almost become Bleating of the sheep evil, literally "Four legs good, two legs" – any emerging skepticism, any question suppressed in critical moments. How primitive, one might think. How brought. Only possible in a totalitarian System. How good that we live in a pluralistic society, the diversity of opinion, where such a thing is possible.

between the years, I've read a number of articles of the balance sheet to pull in, as usual to such occasions, also, when a new decade is in the offing and the old, just ended, full of turbulence was. Some of the comments attempted in optimism. In spite of all the Worries and prophecies of doom, despite a global Depression in the last decades were, it was argued, the bottom line is very successful and, above all, for the poor of the world have been well.

Between 1980 and 2016 I. the average income of the doubled lower fifty percent and the number of people living on less than $ 1.90 per day (the world Bank's threshold for "extreme poverty") has fallen since 1990, from almost two billion to around 700 million Never before in the history of mankind so many people had been so quickly out of poverty, brought (what a little surprised, because never before in history have so many people lived on earth and so many were poor).

The article pointed to more positive news, on the reduction of infant and child mortality, the decline in HIV infections, the growing number of those who attend at least primary school. In countries where the population has slowed down growth surprisingly strong. The optimists rely on the evidence of the Numbers, after the model of the most successful preachers among them, the best-selling authors Hans Rosling and Steven Pinker. And for sure: you have plenty of cause cited numbers give rise to Optimism.

Between Christmas and new year I have been reading two books, the titles of which postulate a very different view of human development: "It's Even Worse Than You Think" by David Cay Johnston, and "The Uninhabitable Earth" by David Wallace-Wells (in German, under the title of "The inhospitable earth"). Already the Chapter headings of any of the optimism to fade: "heat-death, Hunger, Drowning, fire". Followed by "dying seas" "polluted air" as well as "economic collapse". Not to mention the "climate conflicts".

So far a selection of topics from the first Chapter. Both books are based on solid, reliable Research. The abundant cause cited Figures speak a clear, almost apocalyptic language. The dramatic predictions about a threat close to future to shake up the readers probably, but you look worn out, like a really obnoxious whistling, we perceive little more.

Because the crises have been independent for a long time, while the global neo-liberal capitalism has taken root at the same time, in every niche of our existence. The last decade was undoubtedly an era of crises. We have the democracy and the climate in the emergency Department, we have opened the nationalism and the data the door to abuse. And yet, it lives more unabashedly. With consumption of atomic resilience, we pleasure ourselves on each of the unresolved crisis.

Because crises are not disasters – which are held in the Global South, with us only in the literary and cinematic Dystopias, with which we can inoculate us against the real virus beyond the screens. Deep Inside, we do not believe that our crises will grow into a disaster. Unlike our long-suffering is not to understand, nor is the total Stagnation of politics, just compare the threatening messages for the last ten years with the political reactions in the same time.

We do for a Generation, so that we could have it all, endless growth, and sustainable economies, is a keen awareness at the same time Close the eyes. The voltage between the lethargy before the impending collapse, and the sense of possible and necessary burst is with all the senses, not palpable, it is huge, you will be discharged in the next period with certainty.

Because one thing is certain: In the second decade of the 21st century. Century, we have buried the temporarily omnipotent concept of the "end of history" or, in other words, the lack of any Alternative to the prevailing neo-liberal capitalism is definitively in favor of two divergent, urgent narratives, the end of our humanity or the end of capitalism. Hardly a doubt that existing structures disintegrate in front of our weary eyes gradually.

Too loud, the white noise of Brexit and Trump, of oligarchy and corruption, of Panama Papers and Luanda Leaks (the new decade starts like the last, with revelations about networks of unimaginable fraud) is. Already in the first month of the new period, we know with bitter determination that, in the future, will no longer be possible simply to continue, and anticipate that we will continue to do so as yet.

further, The sheep bleating, only they are different than on the Farm the animals – don't agree. Four legs is to hear "good, two legs bad", sometimes "Four legs bad, two legs good", sometimes "Four legs good, two legs good", sometimes "Four legs bad, two legs bad". We have diversity of opinion – it is all good.