Of the lavish banquet of absurdities laid out in 2020, one of the most delectable is Time magazine’s December 14 cover declaring that 2020 was the “worst year ever.”
You’re joking, right?
In history’s immense tapestry of human misery, it’s not even in the top 100 worst years.
Consider 1177 B.C., when many of the great civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea and Mideast collapsed, and the survivors struggled through a pre-modern Dark Ages. This book assembles what is known about this catastrophic era: 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed.
Then there’s 1644 A.D., when the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by the Manchu invasion, a series of self-reinforcing misfortunes stemming from extremes of climate (a.k.a. The Little Ice Age) that left millions hungry and vulnerable to disease and the predation of roving bandit armies.
The Little Ice Age and the famine, conflicts, civil wars, coups, revolts and rebellions it launched killed between a quarter and a third of Eurasia’s population. Entire villages melted away as starvation drove the survivors to desperation. The misery stretched from western Europe to China, and lasted for decades.
This fascinating history lays it all out: Global Crisis: War, Climate Change, & Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century.
Though it is now relegated to a footnote in history, the Antonine Plague of 165 – 180 A.D. decimated the Mediterranean, Mideast, North African and Eurasian regions, toppling regimes that had endured for ages and very nearly brought the Roman Empire to an inglorious end. Roughly one-fourth of the population died as the novel disease was distributed along Rome’s numerous trade routes, which stretched from Northern Europe to Africa and India.
Western Rome’s eventual decline and fall was also the result of pandemics and climate change as well as the usual suspects of war, political in-fighting, overtaxation and the stranglehold of self-serving elites: The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire.
Europe’s inhabitants circa 1350 A.D. would have chosen the years 1347 – 1351 as “the worst ever” as the Black Plague took the lives of a third of the population:The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe.
The inhabitants of North and South America would have selected the years following 1492 and the arrival of Europeans carrying novel diseases as the worst years ever as the diseases carried away between 50% and 90% of the people who were alive in 1491: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.
And finally, the worst of the worst, a gigantic volcanic eruption in early 536 AD that changed day into night and summer into winter across Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia for more than 18 months.
Yep, and what about the greatest natural disaster of the 19th century: the Krakatoa eruption in 1883 that caused shock waves 10,000 times more powerful than that of an hydrogen bomb and shattered the eardrums of sailors over almost 40 miles away.
Declaring 2020 “the worst year ever” reveals much about the psychology of our delusional state of affairs. It reflects an absolutely abysmal grasp of human history and a self-absorbed desire to exaggerate the calamity so the rebound will be gloriously triumphant.
It also embodies our delusional addiction to measuring the well-being of the human populace with financial markets: as long as stocks are hitting new highs, we’re all doing wonderfully.
So party on, because “the worst year ever” is ending and the rebound of financial markets, already the greatest in recorded history, will only become more fabulous.
This article is from Charles hugh Smith, if you liked it you can become one of his Patron via patreon.com or read his new book A Hacker’s Teleology: Sharing the Wealth of Our Shrinking Planet. More apocalyptic news on Strange Sounds and Steve Quayle.
BBC NEWS:
https://www.infowars.com/posts/bbc-tells-people-to-wear-face-masks-during-sex/
Paper sacks over the head are ok?
? Idiots.
Off topic: MILLIONS
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/crowd-huge-american-trump-supporters-growing-now-half-million-million-patriots-join-stop-steal-event-washington-dc/
MILLIONS OF PISS3D OFF PATRIOTS.
Remember, Conservatives work for a living. They are NOT paid to protest. In other words, they have skin in the game. Either they fight on their feet, or kneel, like a slave.
I don’t see any kneelers out there.
We ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Romans were like Ayatoolahs mean and gross , Many civilization ready to collapsed due to war, famine, lack of water, or Purge each others. Now Iranian proxy’s attaclk
USA forces?
ran-Backed Militia Attacks US Military Equipment Convoy In Iraq
Tuesday, 05 Jan 2021 07:06
Iraqi TV channel Al-Shariqiya reported that a convoy carrying military equipment for the US-led coalition in Iraq by an Iraqi contractor was attacked with an explosive device in Dujail District of Iraq’s Saladin province by an Iran-backed militia group.
The Qasem Al-Jabarin Brigade has taken responsibility for the attack. The group, along with Kata’ib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl-Haq, and Abulfazl Al-Abbas brigades are Iranian proxy groups in Iraq that regularly attack American forces.
As the anniversary of the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) drew close, tensions increased between Iran and the United States.
It began with a rocket attack on December 20 on the American embassy and the Green Zone in Baghdad. Almost a dozen rockets were fired at the Green Zone, causing minor damage to the American embassy and injuring one Iraqi civilian.
American officials have blamed Iran’s proxy militia for the attack. Hours after the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran-backed elements for the rocket attack.
A few days later, President Trump tweeted a photo of three unexploded rockets and emphasized that the rockets came from Iran and that he will hold Iran responsible if one American life is lost.
The US sent B52 strategic bombers for a fly-over mission to the Persian Gulf, while rescinging orders to sent the USS Nimitz back to its home port after threats from Iranian officials.
So before we all fall enjoy Vodka and beers.
The ancient Romans were also brought down by heathens, pedohomo behaviour, and currency manipulation.
Disgusting pervert culture. Abominations!
I find the Trump-loving evangelicals disgusting. Real abominations, ripe for destruction.
Meh,
Get thee behind me, satan.
You are a “subject.” Not a citizen. Enjoy your fake brexit.
America kicked your country’s ass, twice.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=prince+andrew+and+epstein&t=h_&iax=images&ia=images
Hahaha, there a go lovee.
https://biblehub.com/kjvs/psalms/91.htm
Here you go. Read out loud —slowly.
Look at your replies. You bully and insult and then spout Bible verses? Service to self and no compassion. Is this Christian behavior?
And your so-called “Christian” president who lies and cheats. Have you seen the pictures of Trump and Epstein?
Trump never should have been president. He is a con man and you fell for it.
Your verbal vomit in every comments section on this site is offensive.
That’s why it is good to count your blessings, and tell God, his son, and the Holy Spirit how much you appreciate them.
Pray, Prep, and be Grateful for all of God’s blessings.