No, nobody senses it consciously, much less speak out its exact terms at fora that matter. It’s been hovering for a while since the last World War : this constant Dread of discussions instantly gathering and gravitating toward its conclusion, and not hang perpetually in its spread; of global human problems getting directly resolved long term because the champions are clear on our universal priorities; or, of community matters finally settling right for everyone concerned since moral perversions from niche quarters are summarily kept at bay.

It is dread of us no longer being conflicted, as a people. That would be when we’d either choose privacy on the web or allow ourself the freedom to let apps access our data with a click, but not harp for both; when women will stop founding themselves on their power to cause overwhelming urges in men, all in the name of liberalism or feminism, and men will go back to work at overcoming their felt fears and perceived inadequacies.

The dread is real amongst religionists, which term is exclusively meaningful to Abrahamic faiths. Atheism is not being opposed to religion per se; it is merely disbelief in God. But how it spells apocalypse to Christians and Muslims ! That is because their religions are tied to God, in their instituted hierarchy of representatives of that male ogre on the sky. Apostasy is a crime in Islam, punishable by death; Christians are less inhumane : they only resort to that subhuman attempt at harvesting souls, by numbers — hundreds, thousands, millions.

In contrast, pagan and panentheist practices start at individual level and are formed by their way of life, around their fears and aspirations cast abroad to phenomenal entities naturally surrounding them. Their gods are close witnesses to their fate, their being, condition and conduct. The tree or the mountain stands guard over their resolve; the river carries away their prayers. The stone remains in their living space, linking their lives to their beyond.

But don’t dread these dreads coming true. Not yet. As it is, I see that possibility recede even more as sheer ideating liberal proliferate on social media of all hues and kinds. More and more people believe in talking, writing, and even more urged to suggest, advise, retweet and share, repeat and regurgicate.

No, madam. No, sir. There is no threat of that dread becoming real. Hunger is necessary and wars are needed. We require men to argue, not to understand but to oppose, break down, cause mayhem, riot, rape and kill, in order to make our politics revolve, corner our justices into doubt, give better than half a chance for narratives to propagate and keep the strife-serving humanity going, by  keeping our people distracted from immediate, simple and direct solutions to our most abiding of divisions, conflicts and miseries.

Cheers !