The world is, hands down, a very unsettling place, especially these days. ISIL is chopping off heads in Iraq. Ebola is laying waste to thousands in West Africa. And we haven’t even mentioned the nuclear obsessions of governments in North Korea and perhaps Iran that aren’t our biggest fans.

So, yes, a bit of angst is in order. But here’s the thing: Thanks to TV and the www, those things seem like they’re in our laps than thousands of miles away. And, frankly, some people’s paychecks depend on hyping that feeling, revving up the fear factor.

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