Although I’m a fan of science fiction, I have to laugh at utopian predictions of global—even universal—unity and harmony. Clearly, these authors don’t read the news. In 2015, no less than 55 armed conflicts raged worldwide. Four of them produced more than 10,000 deaths; 10 caused 1,000 to 10,000 deaths; and 28 totaled 100 to 999 deaths. Sixteen years into the second millennium, the world is more divided along religious, ethnic, tribal and political lines than ever.
Perhaps the latest evidence is Britain’s referendum vote in June to leave the European Union. Supporters of the so-called Brexit argue that being a member of the EU undermined British national sovereignty. They feel that leaving the EU will give the U.K. better control over immigration; save billions of pounds in EU membership fees; allow the U.K. to make its own trade deals; and free the U.K. from EU regulations and bureaucracy.