"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." True only of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities? Or true of innumerable eras?

Consider this day, these times. Technological developments set millions free from the drudgery of repetitive labor. Billions of dollars are donated annually to various charities and trillions of hours are similarly given - many of them to ease the burden of the poor and unfortunate. A rebirth of interest in the things of faith at last includes the so-called "horizontal dimension" of that faith: love of neighbor expressed in deeds of mercy, pursuit of justice and the waging of peace. Diseases conquered, relationships made more humane, global conflict avoided or averted. Even from a purely secular, human standpoint, there is reason to be optimistic, there is room t…