Lately I’ve shared my lament that in America today we are witnessing a surreal transformation of the greatest nation in history. Last week, a spate of headlines made this point better than I could make it on my own.

I was minding my business, mind you, surfing the Internet to check out the news and political sites and forums I customarily visit, and these news and column headlines, most from last week, some from a bit earlier and a few from this week, bombarded me. I wasn’t looking for trouble. Nor was the satirical website The Onion one of the sites I visited. The world is upside down, inside out, sideways, crazy, nutso. Bad is good; up is down. Left is right; right is wrong. Evil is good; insanity is sanity. Abnormal is normal. Circles are squares. Hot is cold. Luke warm is red hot — among Republicans, anyway. Common sense is uncommon. The world is otherworldly. Dissent is “hate.” Diversity means conformity. The good guys are the bad guys; virtue is vice; sophistry is intellectualism; jerks are celebrated; debauchery is glorified; the holy is debauched. Let me share some of these headlines, which speak for themselves — loudly and depressingly.

–Shakespeare’s Works — Too Hard, Too White.

–Obama Red-Faced: Iran Nuclear Stockpiles Grew 20 Percent in 18 months.

–Obamacare Dangerous to Our Health.

–Eye-Popping Premium Increases.

–Obama, Clinton Want To Enforce ‘Correct’ Thinking in America.

–High School Denies Pro-Life Club!

–Pentagon Officials Call Out Obama’s ‘Pathetic’ ISIS Strategy.

–Shabazz Calls on Nation of Islam, New Black Panther ‘Army’ to Defend Black Communities Against Police Brutality.

–Obama: Climate Change Deniers Endangering National Security.

–Team Clinton Swarms Sunday Interview Shows, Minus Hillary.

–Antonin Scalia Is Unfit To Serve: A Justice Who Rejects Science and the Law for Religion Is of Unsound Mind.

–In L.A., Obama addresses Washington’s Dysfunction: “I Did Not Say I Would Fix It.”

–Authorities: Gay Slur Carved Into Utah Man’s Arm Was Staged.

–Justice Department: Transgender Students Can Use Bathrooms that Match Their Gender Identity.

–Political Correctness 101: Praising America, Virtues of Hard Work Dubbed ‘Micro-Aggression’ On Campuses.

–Video Shows U.S. Citizens Willing To Ban American Flag.

–Are Americans of Faith in Danger?

–Obama Administration Says Redskins Nickname Could Block Potential Stadium Deal.

–TV Land Drops “Dukes of Hazzard” Amid Confederate Flag Controversy.

–Gay Teacher Files Federal Discrimination Lawsuit Against Catholic School.

–Terrific: Attorney in Charge of Releasing Lois Lerner ‘Lost’ Emails Now in Charge of HRC’s Emails.

–For Obama, Rainbow White House Was ‘A Moment Worth Savoring.’

–Montana Polygamist Family Applies for Marriage License.

–74 Children Executed by ISIS for ‘Crimes’ That Include Refusal To Fast, Report Says.

–New Undercover Footage Shows VA Officials Admitting of ‘Unaccountability at Every Level.’

–Black Teacher Hits Handicapped White Child, Tells Him Black People Fought To Not ‘Serve White People Like You.’

–Girl Scouts Raise $250K for Transgender Cause.

–Teen Leads Mob in Ransacking of Georgia Walmart.

–U.S. Debt Headed Toward Greek Levels.

–Obama Administration Invokes Executive Privilege on Benghazi Probe?

–United Church of Christ Anti-Israel Extremism.

–U.S. Troops in Afghanistan ‘Feel Abandoned.’

–More than 42 Million Muslims ‘Support ISIS.’

–17 Shot Since Monday Morning in Baltimore.

–Baltimore Mayor Wants Park Named for Robert E. Lee Changed, Other Monuments May Come Down.

–Christian Preachers Brutally Beaten at Gay Pride Festival.

–Seattle 6th Graders Can’t Get a Coke at School, but Can Get an IUD.

–Local Minister Urges the Flying of Black Liberation Flag This Weekend.

–Christian Bakers Face $135K Fine and Gag Order Over Wedding Cake for Same-Sex Couple.

–Center for American Progress Helped Craft EPA Talking Points, Emails Show.

–White House Blames GOP for Kathryn Steimle’s Slaying, Rise in Gun Violence.

–10 Killed, 55 Wounded in Fourth of July Gun Violence in Chicago.

–Shock: Arizona Paper Decries Border Fence As Too High For Mexicans To Safely Jump.

–California Family Supports 4-Year-Old’s Decision To Transition from Male to Female.

–Illegal Alien Who Murdered Woman Went to San Francisco Because It Was a ‘Sanctuary City.’

–Chris Matthews: Hillary Clinton is ‘More of a Conservative … Traditional Politician.’

–Netanyahu Says Nuke Deal Getting Worse by the Day.

–Chicago Convulsed By Another Violent Weekend; Top Cop Blames Justice System.