THE AGE OF THANKLESSNESS

Saying that we are lost in some absurd algorithm of our own making is not very original, but the reversal of situations that is  being created is breathtaking.

Almost everywhere the upcoming reality marginalizes former accepted models. New villains appear and the old trusted swaps or trade-offs no longer apply. Summitry is a thing of the past. So, too, are the rock solid alliances that seem equally unreliable.

The great Western way was born on the beaches of Normandy, and the illusion of a new world order rose from the rubble of the Berlin Wall. The last colonial aberrations disappeared. For a while it looked like the world was finding a new equilibrium.

Then suddenly the mistakes started to overtake the better intentions. Almost everywhere misconceptions appeared simultaneously. The doomsday war of civilizations became a self- fulfilling prophecy. Added to that, the pillars of the liberal mindset gave in and the harmonious fabric of society became no longer the accepted or desirable goal.

The political (and philosophical) debate in the West has become sepulchral. Never was self-confidence as endangered as it is now. That this is happening under the shadow of Trump, is the more surprising since the former president entered his inglorious defeat under the label "never again". Yet there he is, with more lies than an octopus has arms. Instead of staying put, the Europeans are freaking out, as if America suddenly became just the reflection of this demented and dangerous demagogue. Only Putin & Co. enjoy his revolting performance. The usual free-lance creepy interlopers, found on Fox News and evangelical reservations, seize the moment(s). Even Netanjahu, who is "safe" thanks to the American iron dome, can hardly count as a friend in a conflict that is metastasizing.

In Davos a few talk intelligently. Outside many play with fire.  The West shouldn't count on thank-you cards for the uneven but often well-meant managerial efforts it deploys in creating a glimpse of order in the chaos. That some prefer to freelance in the current abominable "weather conditions" is more than objectional, it is inadmissible. It is sad that so many are resigned to the decline, becoming the voyeurs of fake news and riddles. Trump is a scourge, maybe we deserve it.