Are we living in the age of fear?

Been thinking lately about this. It seems as a people we have never been freer or richer, yet if you read any of the newspapers, watch TV or listen to many radio programmes, there seems to be an under current of fear and cynicism being trotted about.

A simple example would be Brexit. Will this be the end of Ireland, I think not, we have faced worse before and come out the other side. OK, its a big deal in some aspect, especially the border but the fear mongering is ever present here.

In our popular culture its even worse.

Think the explosion of Veganism. If your not one, you are killing the planet and yourself, and they will remind you of the fact every day.

Many other ism's are similar in that respect. If you are not for an ---ism then you are another ---ism.

Climate change is another, that narrative is dripping with fear.

The most blatant example I can think of is the TV show, "The Handmaids Tale".

I watch it myself, its a good show, a fictional one though. Yet, I hear everyday commentary on how relevant it is today because, 'It could happen here'.

Yea, it could, just like an alien invasion could happen ala Independence day, or that Star Wars is actually real could happen.

It's a futurist/dystopian view on the world. Sure one can draw parallels like they can with any piece of fiction, from Sherlock Holmes, to 1984, to Superman but why all the fear mongering in the present day?

It is interesting that when the novel was written in 1985, it did well. Was nominated for a number of awards, like the Booker price, a movie was made in 1990 which did not do well and it was consigned to history until recently revived.

Now, its exploded onto the small screen with a heavily financed and backed production and crew. They did a decent job of it in fairness.

However, why was not this reaction to it in 1985. I doubt the social commentary of the time was akin of the 'it could happen!' and the hysteria that followed it.

Compare the life and role of women now to 1985 in either Ireland or the US and it is immeasurably better now than then. Every single quantifiable metric proves this.... Yet... 'it could happen!' :rolleyes:

So, it got me thinking.

Are we living in an age of cynicism and fear? Is there anything out there with any new ideas of hope, change, enlightenment or something new we can strive towards freely? Or are we all so bored and depressed with our rich middle class comfortable lives that we are entrenched into the politics of fear and cynicism, where we want to hold onto what we have come what may in some zero sum game?