Are we witnessing the Age of Unreason?

The President of the USA comes up with the idea that his country wants to purchase Greenland from Denmark out of the blue. Instead of pursuing this target discreetly through diplomatic channels he ensures that his intention is plastered all over the media, as is the subsequent rejection - as was well within their rights - by the Danish government, who called the proposal 'absurd'. Said President, with lots of egg on his face, proceeds to cancel a presidential trip to Denmark in retaliation, calling the Danish Prime Minister's reaction to his 'proposal' nasty - really?

Britain chooses to pursue a strategy labelled Brexit, its departure from the European Union (EU - formerly EEC), amid all sorts of claims ranging from the valid to the ridiculous; this decision is based on a referendum where 52% voted to leave and 48% to stay on a pretty average turnout of 72.2%. After nearly 3 years the UK government apparently failed to negotiate an agreement acceptable to both the EU and the UK and, despite his spectacularly mediocre and unsatisfactory performance as Foreign Secretary has chosen the opportunist supreme Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister needed at a time of national crisis -  really?

Italy has chosen people to govern it that feel it is preferable to watch human beings drown than to offer them life, maybe even hope, even if they come from a different place or have different skin colour/hue. Many other politicians from countries that were previously happy to conquer, plunder, colonise or otherwise abuse others when they could get away with it find the presence of strange refugees fleeing horrific living conditions unacceptable, viewing them as an inconvenience for system and the incumbent citizens - really?

That any government in the 21st century, let alone one based on immigration and freedom, would consider it appropriate to separate very young children from their parents as a punishment for seeking a better life, granted perhaps but not always  illegally, and then seek to justify this as a humane approach instead of holding its head in shame - really?

That anyone, anywhere in the world and of whatever nationality, religion, creed or colour, whether elected, appointed or otherwise of some public stature, would watch a concert by a pop star like Jennifer Lopez (or virtually anybody else for that matter) and then dare declare themselves offended, traumatised or whatever by her appearance and performance when all they had to do was close their eyes, change channels or press the off button - really?

I am truly horrified that these people holding these beliefs exist in today's world. It seems that we have either not learned the lessons of the past or are studiously trying to ignore them. We are facing massive challenges and, instead of rising to them, we are behaving like ignorant, spoiled children, seemingly led by The Donald, surely ironically now called 'Leader of the Free World'.

If only Robin Williams and Christopher Hitchens were still alive to discuss our age with the intelligence and wild humour that it deserves, at least amusing us in our time of despair.