I’m writing today about three unrelated items that come together as commentary on our time.

The first is a video of J D Vance answering questions on Meet the Press. Without any hedging or apologies he is arguing for a full political takeover of universities.  We need Viktor Orban’s state censorship here? How have we reached the stage where a mainstream party is proposing totalitarian behavior as a model?

Second, I just finished one of the most disturbing novels I’ve ever read.   On the face of it, it’s a story about high school, where there reader only gradually learns what has happened as told by ten different speakers.  What’s horrifying is that something terrible happens without anyone owning up–even to themselves—about what was really going on.  The horror didn’t just happen; it was allowed to happen.  I don’t know if the author thought of it as a metaphor, but it sure feels like where we are.

Finally, like everyone else I’m confronted by the Gaza mess everyday.  It’s only pushing things a little to say that Netanyahu seems to have decided that if he’s going down, he’s going to take Israel with him.  Israel gave dictatorial power to a narcissist who promised security—and he ran Israel for HIMSELF.  If there was ever a cautionary tale this is it. 

Can’t we wake up?