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In less than a year, Paris was subjected terrorist attack twice  (this time far more severelythan in January 2015). And last week, the US was attacked twice by domestic terrorism in Colorado and San Bernardino resulting  in nearly 20 innocent peoplekilled. This prompted me to add some more thoughts to  my earlier post on thesubject. It is appropriate to re-read my post  http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-858885.html first (on 1/12/2015).  Everything I said there remains applicable. In this note I merely continue  the discourse starting with point number

12. It is no secret that education increasingly becomes important in  modern civilization. In the US, a high school education is no longer enough to guarantee a good job or middle class living. In fact, one can even argue that the traditional  liberal art college education is not enough since moderncivilization increasingly  demand technical know how as part of job skills. One indirect evidence of this is the recent report according in NYT 11/9/2015 that in a new paper by the economistsAngus Deaton (who just won a Nobel) and Anne Case, showing that mortality among middle-aged white Americans has been  rising since 1999. This deterioration took place while death rates were falling steadily both in other countries and among other groups in our own nation. Here we’re looking at people who were raised to believe in the American Dream,  and are coping badly with its failure to come true. The high stresses  of coping with this failure contributeto poor health and earlier death.

13.Another contributing factor is the feeling of entitlement. In the old days, people believe in their own effort and do not expect government welfare –the pioneer spirit that opened up the American West. Nowadays, after years of welfare many people expect the government to take care of them. This combination fuels much of the anger of the conservative white population and the Republican revolt in government, Washington political gridlock, and rise of presidential candidate such as Donald Trump. On the other hand, the Democrats have weaved together a coalition of minorities and the immigrant generation.But  their welfare legislations are partly responsible for the feeling of entitlement among the non-immigrant or majority population. In summary,  thefailure of the American Dream for a large segment of the middle class.

14. To exacerbate the situation, unlike the olden times, nowadays  the “gross income inequality” between the have  and have not is obvious and for  all to see by way of TV, Internet, and all modern communication and  information dissemination media. The old Chinese saying: “不怕窮只怕比” is in operation here.

15. This combination makes individuals susceptible to propaganda and to take out  their frustration inviolent ways.

In this respect, sentimenthas been growing about training for service skills not yet replaceable byautomation, such as electrician, plumber, barber, et al, and the  promotion of technical schools vs college education. Students in  such school learn a trade while serving as apprentices without incurring tuition  debt and are readily employable for pay. But culture change and government  interventions are necessary for such viewpoint and effort to take place.  In the meantime, there is political gridlock and an angry electorate that lead to  local unrest and demonstrations.

16. As President Obama said,in the US it is “too easy” to get guns and to find soft  target. The second amendment to the Constitution (the right to bear arms)  and various loopholes in US gun laws make it possible for anyone to get guns  and assault rifles. The result is that there are 300 million+ guns in the hands  of the population (one gun  for every man, woman, and child) and almost one event per day where 4 or more people are killed or injured due to gun violence.  

16.  In a larger sense, the same problem in an even more dramatic way is  happening  on  a global scale. Religion and Race add further fuel to the fire. Unless the developed countries find a way to help the undeveloped or developing countries, Unending worldwide unrest and terrorist acts will becoming the norm and de facto World War III. It is difficult to be optimistic about the future.

My usually optimistic view is slowly being changed towards the pessimistic side  for the future of humankind.