Das Zeitalter des Zorns

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One of our most important public intellectuals reveals the hidden history of our current global crisis. Modernity, secularism, development, and progress have long been seen by the powerful as benign ideals. However, failed experiments in nation-building, democracy, industrialization, and urbanization have left deep scars across the globe. The rise of revolutionary politics, mass movements, technology, wealth pursuit, and individualism has left billions adrift in a demoralized world. This discontent has historically given rise to militants—angry young men who became cultural nationalists in Germany, messianic revolutionaries in Russia, and anarchist terrorists worldwide. Today, many individuals, unable to realize the promises of freedom, stability, and prosperity in a globalized economy, are increasingly drawn to demagogues and their oversimplified narratives. This often manifests as intense hatred of perceived enemies, nostalgia for a lost golden age, and unfocused fury expressed through violence. In this exploration, the author delves into the origins of the pervasive paranoid hatreds that seem inescapable in our interconnected world, examining phenomena from American shooters and ISIS to figures like Trump and Modi, as well as the racism and misogyny rampant on social media.