The 35 Crises

We have more problems than we can handle, but we can do better

Over the past year or two, I began keeping a list of crises. I can’t remember the precise motivation. Curiosity over how many I could come up with, combined with a perverse awe of all that is wrong in our country and our world.

Today, I’m sharing the list. Not to ruin your day. Maybe for no better reason than to share my fascination. Maybe to make me feel, to quote Mary Richards, “less alone.”

Small black circle points:

• First comes the list. Then, beneath it, I’ll offer some very surface discussion.

• There is natural overlap between some categories.

• I don’t have solutions. Today, I’m not a problem solver. I’m a problem lister.

So with the smallest of homages in the headline to the 95 theses of Martin Luther, here are the 35 crises in a world both beautiful and terrifying.

1. Abortion rights

2. China

3. Climate change

4. Corruption

5. Culture wars

6. Democracy

7. Disease

8. Disinformation

9. Economy

10. Education

11. Environment

12. Equitable taxation

13. Global inequality

14. Gun control

15. Health care

16. Homelessness

17. Homophobia, Transphobia

18. Immigration 

19. Infrastructure

20. Local journalism 

21. Mental health

22. Middle East

23. Misogyny

24. Natural disasters

25. Opioids

26. Pandemic(s)

27. Policing

28. Puerto Rico

29. Racism

30. Religion

31. Russia (Ukraine)

32. Sex trafficking

33. Street safety

34. Supreme Court

35. Violence

And now, a few words about each below.