I think it has been like this since the rise (and, most importantly, the fall) of the first major empire. However, I do agree that since 9/11, the symptoms have been felt more acutely and, in my opinion, in an increasingly accelerated fashion. But then again, I think this is how it always felt like. For example, my parents lived through a military dictatorship and, as a generation, lost their freedom for over 20 years while waiting for a nuke to drop. Maybe every generation feels this way?