Much of what Flynn said is too vague to be judged, but his final line isn’t. In the context of the interview the reporter had mentioned conflicts in Ukraine, Korea, and the Middle East that statement makes it clear that Flynn believes “societal conflict” is at a “pretty unprecedented” level. That is an empirical claim that can be checked by reviewing the many reports that have quantified global violence since World War II. And what they all show, broadly, is that interstate wars have been declining since the 1950s and civil wars have been declining since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s .This is reflected in the number of battle deaths per year, which, with a few blips, declined throughout the period.2