For a different perspective, stop reading the “doom and gloom” web sites and go outside. Or maybe just read their stories from five years ago, predicting crises that never happened. The world isn’t going to end. Things will turn out alright.
There is a ton of stuff to do: decades of deferred maintenance, resilience to climate change in existing infrastructure, building out new climate friendly infrastructure, prepare society for the inevitable job losses due to automation (e.g. trucking, warehouse jobs)... all of that will cost a lot of money over the next decades, the current administration doesn't have the political majority necessary to raise taxes, and it is highly likely that the Republicans and with them their constant "defund the big state" destructionism against public institutions will be in the political majority by end of this year and in Presidency in two years.
There will certainly be big problems to deal with, and terrible events. I grew up in the 1970s with headlines dominated by wars in the Middle East and many other places, terrorism, inflation, the threat of nuclear war, apocalyptic cults, ‘malaise’ and cynicism, pollution, violent crime, political corruption…and basically everything you mentioned too. With all that, things worked out OK.
Yes they did, because politicians did their jobs. CFCs and lead were banned, pollution was beginning to be regulated by the EPA and European counterparts, there were a number of de-armament agreements worldwide, and actions were taken to combat crime and corruption.
Additionally, just look at the aftermath of neoliberalism and privatization waves of the 90s or the 2008ff financial crises: millions of people lost their jobs, many millions who graduated right during these times have lower economic prospects for large parts of their life [1]. For them, nothing worked out OK.
And these days? US Congress has been gridlocked since Obama and McConnell's obstructionism, and here in Europe Russia has invested many millions into propping up far-right obstructionist forces as well. We can't get anything done anymore.
I do appreciate hearing that. My parents aren't as worried as I am either, but they've also turned their backyard into a very large garden just in case. They also lean heavily on religion as a means of assurance, which I find less comforting.
Maybe I'm just scarred by the fact that I grew up poor when the 2008 crisis hit. So for many people, it might have just been a hiccup, a budget cut here or there. For me, it meant not eating every day.
This is already a reality for many Americans. So it might turn out alright for you...but it will not turn out alright for many many other people.
