Is it just me, or do others feel this too?

My experience has been a little different to that of OP.

As a teenager and young adult I was very interested in what was going on in the world. I was 13-14 at the time of the Prague spring and the Six Days' War-

As I had many Jewish friends at school I couldn't ignore what was going on in the Middle East, nor did I want to. The Prague Spring affected me personally too, as a dear school-friend had relatives in Germany living in West Germany, but very close to the Wall.

For a while in my forties, my own life was so difficult that I had little strength to spare for inernational affairs, or home politics.

Now, at 70 I find myself again with time to follow what is going on in the world. I have never believed that peace was just there - my earliest recollections of international politics was a crisis on Cyprus, then Nasser nationalizing the Suez Canal, the Cuba crisis, the troubles in Ireland, the building of the Berlin wall, the Prague spring, the uprising that Soviet Russia put down harshly in the Baltic states, Vietnam.

I haven't made the effort to put them in the right order - you all lived through them too, Do I need to mention Africa's struggles for democracy?

Can any one of my contemporaries really believe we have lived at peace? Yes, all right, our part of the world has been fairly untroubled, I'll grant you that, but the threats have always been there.

Your post has really hit home with me, Rameses. I struggle with feelings of impotence, frustration and sadness of what lies ahead for my grandchildren and other young family members.
I have become much more politically aware as the years pile on and cannot comprehend how Government reaches some of its decisions.
Things have changed so much, particularly in the last decade. I’m sorry to say that my hopes for a kinder society are slowly fading. That said, I really do believe that the majority of folk are good and just want the best for their families. Sadly, it’s a small number of people that spoil things for everyone.

How very true,

greenlady you are correct. There have been so very many terrible times all through our lives, but they were not beamed round the clock into our homes. There were a couple of news bulletins a day, and as a young woman I often didn’t even watch them. When we were teenagers and young marrieds many of us were busy with other things. Well I certainly was anyway. As a teenager my friends, school and college and so on kept me occupied. As a young woman I did watch the daily news but then got on with my life. Was I selfish? Possibly, but I think I was just preoccupied with other things. Now though, I find myself crying quite often when I watch the news about Ukraine.

I do remember how appalled I was though when I saw the picture of the little Vietnamese girl running down the road with all her clothes burnt off and her skin peeling as a result of a napalm attack. I’ve never forgotten that picture. Vietnam seemed so very far away then. Since then I’ve been to Vietnam. The world seems smaller now.

Mankind is capable of great and wonderful things - we are also capable of dark and despicable deeds. No one gets to the top of the pile by being ethical and moral in their dealings.

As a species we ruthlessly prey upon our kind; we are naturally selfish in a bid to survive, to not be left behind, to move from needs to wants.

Today we learn of atrocities in real time, where once it was through the news media. How many remember the horrendous genocide in Rwanda, how many opened their doors to the terrorised?

If we live a life trauma free we may be blessed but perhaps not a fully rounded person - what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

“Lest we never forget” - hah - we are too immature a species to live harmoniously.

I can’t change others - I can only live my best life, offer kindness but don’t take any siht. And don’t believe one word coming out of Boris Johnson’s mouth.

Maddyone
With you 100%
Lives as in any war, would be lost. What could were there no response to Argentine intentions does not bear thinking.

Rameses I feel just like you. I think the things that are happening now in the world is worrying for the future. The greed and wanting power over others and the cruelty that comes with it is horrendous.

Dylant1234 totally agree with your comments but it needs everyone to make a stand it's sad to see what's happening to the poor Russian people who are making a stand in their own country

I think we are more aware due to social media and the internet. Humans have been forever thus.

Of an age to remember WW11 and watching cinema newsreels of its horrors can say I never feared so much during that time than what my feelings are now for our planet 21c.

Am I the only one who says no? I think that the difference is that today we have more access to news and immediate reporting...but does nobody remember the cuban missile crisis? The London bombings? Vietnam? Korea? two World Wars? 9/11 and Bin Laden? The Cold War? the Berlin Wall? Shall I go on?

I've not led a sheltered life I've been very aware of world events been politically active and worked in areas of multiple deprivation for 30 years so ....

I used to teach my pupils that if someone is being bullied, silently stand behind them. Don't shout or threaten, just make it plain that person is not alone. They don't have to be your friend, you don't have to like them. You just have to despise bullying.
This works only if violence hasn't started.
I weep at the bullying that is going on against Palestinians by Israelis. I hear of horrors in Yemen. The UN was meant to be the ones who stood behind the bullied.

The US and the UK have flourishing armament industries
www.statista.com/statistics/267131/market-share-of-the-leadings-exporters-of-conventional-weapons/

if you watch the new BBC 2 series Art That Made Us it would appear it was ever thus so, all about power and riches. And looking at Rishi Sunak just confirms that..

I agree with all the sentiments mentioned here, I would like to add the brutality against women , every day some women are murdered by husbands, partners, yes even strangers----
these girls are murdered in broad daylight, just taking their dog for a walk. They are not safe walking in a park, waiting at a bus stop, walking home, it has made me more aware of how cruel this life is, we live in fear.

Hellbent on not of

I agree with maddyone: Argentina invaded the Falklands just as Russia has invaded Ukraine. Thatcher responded. I also agree there are too many psychopathic individuals in power but as long as we have a political system in which people climb over each other to get to the top it will always be so in all countries, even UK. And we tend to forget all the countries of the United Nations which are dictatorships (Zimbabwe, e.g., not to mention many other African states) or real monarchies Saudi Arabia) - I think about 30% or more. We reduced our monarchy to figurehead status in 1660, a good move.

I think most people in this world would be more than happy with a moderately comfortable life - food on the table, a job, access to healthcare and education, peace in the world, an annual holiday ….. instead, we have a tiny minority (mostly men) who are hellbent of having obscenely and unimaginable wealth and power at any cost to other people and to the planet. Hence we have war, famine and global destruction. When are we, the majority, going to stop putting those sort of people into power and stand up to them?

I feel deep dread for the future of the world now. Living in Cornwall we have just lost Harry Billinger who was such an inspirational man raising funds for all his lost comrades. Why can we not learn from these conflicts that nothing is achieved in the long run but hatred. We hear the phrase the war to end all wars if only this was true. Do you think the world would be a better place if women were the rulers? Truth is probably not but at least we tend to talk more!

I don't know if there is any more conflict and inhumanity than there ever was. It's just that it is fed to us and we can access it 24/7 now.

What I have observed, though, is that there is far less nastiness and far more civilisation where women have equal access to public life. Whatever the race, religion or social group being considered, where there are just men making the rules and enforcing them, aggression and selfishness prevail and force is the main political lever.

I feel the exact way that you do. It is mind boggling as to how it is just a few human beings who come into power and lead these atrocities that impact the entire world. I wonder what it is about them that they can get others to follow. Why can't the good leaders overcome them? There are far more of them.

You are not on your own. The world has gone mad. People are no longer kind and cruelty both verbal and physical is accepted as the norm. So sad

me too! me too! actually it helps me , in some strange way, to know that I am not the only one, crying heartfelt tears for humanity!

@Janamax
Glad you feel your life is happier now. I know this thread is not about Princess Diana , and I agree with you to some extent , but I can help but think some of her ' problems ' were also the demons within herself.

I agree with all you say Rameses and if you are a sad old git then I am too. I do agree with those who have remarked that we become more reflective with age as well.