…when there is no vision of progress or betterment to unify a society, the leaders will introduce fear to unify them. The BBC documentary series “The Power of Nightmares” argues that this is what recently happened in the US. When the hope of technology solving everything (he glorious days of Progress, with a capital P) petered out, it was replaced by the fear of communism as a way of unifying the country. When communism rotted from the inside and collapsed, the fear of terrorism had to replace it. That exaggerated fear governed the past decade. But unless there is a plausible, desirable vision of betterment, one that billions can agree on, another fear will have to be found.

In that way I think there is a moral imperative to articulate our path towards something better.