F. Scott Fitzgerald once said something about intelligence being the ability to hold at least two contradictory ideas in your head simultaneously...I'm not so sure...
Looking at the big picture you might say things are kind of fucked up. The Doomsday Clock moves closer to the end! I mean, the ice caps are melting, the rainforests are disappearing, the polar bears are dying, the Muslims and Christians are locked in a death struggle, powerful nations are led by madmen and idiots, multinational corporations are raping and pillaging for profit, the Long Emergency is coming, the universe is expanding, the sun is slowly dying, an asteroid could knock us out of orbit any minute, the corrupt and powerful push around the weak and defenseless, the peacemakers always get assasinated, the corrupt always get promoted, the population is exploding, our resources are dwindling, we are always stupid and arrogant, the food chain is contaminated, there's a hole in the ozone layer, the oceans are rising, good topsoil is being blown to the wind, the general public is either dumb and complacent, or pissed off and dangerous, nuclear non-proliferation is a joke, war is one of our favorite pastimes, the selfish and greedy are lavishly rewarded, the poor are despised and stomped on for entertainment, etc.
On the other hand, hey, things aren't that bad, right? I mean, I'm trying to do my part. I vote Democratic, I recycle, I'm a vegetarian, I give money to the Streetwise Guy, I walk little old ladies across the street, I don't own a car, I think positive thoughts, I meditate, I try not to hurt myself or others...hmmm...not alot to put on this side of the ledger, really...
Only a few minutes from doom...so, okay, when does the party start?