TIME

Anytime but now: the perils of fighting last year’s wars and pining for yesterday’s heroes

LEFT, RIGHT AND VANISHING CENTER, WE’VE ALL BEEN spending too much time in the past lately. On the right, Donald Trump’s fans yearn for a bygone America—1950s industries, 1950s masculinity and 1950s demographics. Meanwhile, the left is nostalgic for a more recent past. Either way, we’re losing sight of larger issues, like the planet and our health.

Pete Souza, Barack Obama’s White House photographer, has been teasing everyone for months by posting photos

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from TIME

TIME2 min read
Helping The World Live Better
In 2018, we worked with Bill Gates on a special issue of TIME dedicated to the power of optimism. Gates’ view, shared by many of the issue’s contributors, was that people are wired to focus on when things go wrong and when they don’t work. Sometimes
TIME5 min readWorld
Thrust Into Her New Role As The Face Of Russian Opposition, Yulia Navalnaya Is Ready For Her Revolution
In Russian custom, the soul of the dead is believed to remain on earth for 40 days, finishing its business among the living before it moves on to the afterlife. Surviving friends and relatives often spend this period in mourning and reflection. But t
TIME3 min read
Modi-fying India
In April, two Indian writers published an ode to their Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Titled “Forever in Our Hearts,” it recounts his achievements while singing his praises. Such gushing reverence captures the essence of Modi’s popularity at home and

Related Books & Audiobooks