This is a bad dream. It has to be.

“Tell me where you live.”
“Third planet from the Sun, and straight down ’til the crust…”
“The crash?”
“No, no. The crust.”
“Oh, I see.”
“It’s unequivocal”

Human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. The scale of recent changes across the climate system as a whole and the present state of many aspects of the climate system are unprecedented over many centuries to many thousands of years. Climate change is already affecting every inhabited region across the globe with human influence contributing to many observed changes in weather and climate extremes: Evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and, in particular, their attribution to human influence, has strengthened.

Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades. Many changes in the climate system become larger in direct relation to increasing global warming. They include increases in the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, marine heatwaves, and heavy precipitation, agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions, and proportion of intense tropical cyclones, as well as reductions in Arctic sea ice, snow cover and permafrost. Continued global warming is projected to further intensify the global water cycle, including its variability, global monsoon precipitation and the severity of wet and dry events.

Many changes due to past and future greenhouse gas emissions are irreversible for centuries to millennia, especially changes in the ocean, ice sheets and global sea level.

IPCC, AR6 Climate Change 2021, The Physical Science Basis. Summary for Policy Makers

COVID-19 is responsible for at least 3 million excess deaths in 2020. As of 31 December 2020, COVID-19 had infected over 82 million people and killed more than 1.8 million worldwide. But preliminary estimates suggest the total number of global “excess deaths” directly and indirectly attributable to COVID-19 in 2020 amount to at least 3 million, 1.2 million higher than the official figures reported by countries to WHO.

WHO, The impact of COVID-19 on global health goals

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year.

Joint statement by ILO, FAO, IFAD and WHO, Impact of COVID-19 on people’s livelihoods, their health and our food systems

“To be sure, the covid-19 pandemic is a catastrophe that could have been averted.”
“What is happening in Afghanistan?”

“The Taliban, a militant group that ran the country in the late 1990s, have again taken control.”
“Why are people fleeing the country?”
“They’re worried that the country could descend into chaos or the Taliban could carry out revenge attacks against those who worked with the Americans or the government.”
“What happened at the Kabul Airport?”
“Thousands of Afghans rushed there, hoping to escape the country because they fear what the Taliban’s rule will bring.”
“Why are the Taliban taking over now?”
“Probably because U.S. troops are set to withdraw by the end of the month.”
“What did afghan security forces collapse?”
“The short answer? Corruption.”
“What happened to the president of Afghanistan?”
“He fled.”
“What has Biden said?”
“Biden called the situation in Afghanistan “gut-wrenching” but rejected blame for what’s happening.”
“What will happen in Afghanistan?”
“It’s not clear.”

Associated Press, Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and what’s next

“But believe me. It won’t be good.”

The US has chosen to install a terror group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan and as a departing gift, offered them an estimated $212 million worth of military aircraft, vehicles and ammunition. For an administration that came to office talking big on multilateralism, the withdrawal has happened unilaterally with the allies left to pick up the pieces. After two decades of fighting terror, the US Army is leaving in the worst possible manner with 13 soldiers killed during the withdrawal and the remaining withdrawal at the mercy of some of the worst terror groups in the world.

Observer Research Foundation

“What if President Biden and his administration is every bit as bad as it looks?”
“He has his detractors, so to speak.”

“Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f- -k things up,” Barack Obama reportedly said.

Then there’s Robert Gates’ charge that Biden “has been wrong on nearly every major foreign-policy and national-security issue over the past four decades.”

Michael Goodwin, In the midst of a White House breakdown

As a lethal pandemic, economic and physical insecurity, and violent conflict ravaged the world, democracy’s defenders sustained heavy new losses in their struggle against authoritarian foes, shifting the international balance in favor of tyranny.

Freedom in the World 2021, Democracy under Siege

“Ah, no. Do not even think about it. I’m not a pessimist… Apple’s new iPhone 13 is coming in September. It will surely help us fight climate change, pandemics and terror in the world in which I (and you?) live!”
“Please PAY ATTENTION. Someone, an alien, is going to come… where you live. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
“When she says to you the words… afghanistan banana stand… you all will do exactly what she tells you to do. Now, what is it that this being will say to you?”
“Afghanistan banana stand.”
“Yeah, got it.”

Suddenly, I woke up crying:

AFGHANISTAN BANANISTAN!!!