The world is worse off today?

[Texsox]

In another thread BMR proposes that the world is worse off and wonders if it's because we are becoming more liberal. I don't think we are worse off and repeat my comments to spark a different debate. Not liveral vs. conservative but are we worse off today than 50 or 100 years ago.

 

Lifespan is longer that it ever has been. Including factors like Aids. The quality of that lifespan is longer with people much more active and healthy into their 80's. Two generations ago, mid 60's was old. Most major childhood diseases are at an all-time low. The flu use to kill tens of thousand every year. Look at TB, measles, polio, small pox, shall I go on? Worldwide, children are being immunizated at a rate greater than ever before. Is the world worse off? Would you like to go to the barber and be bled for your ailment? Perhaps have leeches applied? How about a frontal labotomy?

 

Socially women and minorities have more rights than ever before. Shall we start counting blacks as 3/5? Stop women from voting? Bring back prohibition? Are we worse off today?

 

When was the last time you heard a PSA about what to do when the Russians drop the A-bomb. You are probably too young to remember the Cold War. Speaking of wars what we have today does not compare with WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam. Are we worse off?

 

Worldwide, slavery is at an all-time low and as manufacturing spreads to every corner of the globe, it may be extint in another 50 years. With advances in food technology, distribution, and farming practices we are steadily making improvements in famine. Are we worse off?

 

We have upgraded sanitation practices all over the globe helping to stop potentialy deadly disease before it starts. Can you believe that diahrea kills tens of thousands around the world. It use to be much higher. We're spending a lot of time, effort, and money to upgrade sanitation in developing countries. Why? That's where our strawberries in February come from. Twenty years ago laborers use to squat in the fields while picking your fruit, now toilets are provided. Human dignity for the workers, not a conservative idea. Are we worse off?

 

I know very responsible humans on both ends and in the middle of the political spectrum. Most of the issues you discribe as being worse are personal choice issues that are politically neutral. Cheating on your wife is not a liberal vs. conservative issue. Being addicted to drugs is not a conservative or liberal issue.

 

Technology today is speeding communications, making life easier. Would you like to wash clothes with a ringer?

 

How about the environment? It was wacko tree huggers in the 60s that pushed industry to clean up their act. The Chicago river is thousands of times healthier today then 30 or 40 years ago. How about lead paint? Lead in our automotive fuel.

 

The world is a much better place today than 50, 100, 200 years ago.

 

I'm not sure what the difference is between an agenda and an opinion. Perhaps people who discredit other's comments by calling them an agenda will explain.

[The Critic]

I think that the things that are better are MUCH better, and the things that are worse are MUCH worse.

 

For example, while you don't hear about Russia dropping an A bomb anymore, you now hear about countless countries attempting to develop or in fact developing nuclear weaponry. We seem to have many more enemies than in the past, when it was a focus on the USSR or Cuba or Japan. Now it seems there is another wildcat rebel group threatening our destruction every week or two.

 

A lighter example: cellphones. They're a GREAT innovation for emergency purposes, but I think the damn things CAUSE more emergency situations by distracting people in everything they do. They walk distracted, they drive distracted, some people NEVER seem to get off those f***ing phones.

 

There are WAY too many situations to be able to address them all, but I think that the world is far more unstable than it's ever been. ( Or at least that's how things are reported, anyway - I don't dig as deep as oh, let's say...APU does, so my knowledge base is not as full as others' may be. )

 

It gets frustrating at times, because there seem to be more questions than answers, and the answers seem to only pose more questions. You hope for the inherent good within people to come through, but I'm not so sure of it anymore.

[southsider2k5]

Worldwide, slavery is at an all-time low and as manufacturing spreads to every corner of the globe, it may be extint in another 50 years. With advances in food technology, distribution, and farming practices we are steadily making improvements in famine. Are we worse off?

 

I do have to take exception to this statement. I read in National Geographic, (within either August or September) that slavery is actually at an all time high. There are 27 million slaves world wide, and are located in EVERY industrialized country including the US. As a matter of a fact there are more slaves today than were brought over from Africa during the entire span of the African slave trade. It is a facinating article and I recommend highly that all people should read it.

[Rex Kickass]

I would agree that the world is in some ways, not as well off as fifty years ago. In some ways, the world is more dangerous because of the proliferation of WMD... making MAD protocols less assured.

 

However, life has become better thanks to liberals, I'd agree. After all if it weren't for liberals, there would be no social security, minimum wage, forty hour work week etc.

[sox4lifeinPA]

I'm not sure this is really a liberal vs. conservative issue, being that those two labels have very little meaning if dissected correctly. Many people are Socially conservative/liberal, however, Economically liberal/conservative. I think The Critic and Texsox were on the right path. There are so many more advancements today that have made life longer and freer of diseases. Yet, as the populations spread and the mixing of animals and humans increases, you see cross speciation of diseases, such as SARS. Nature invents ways to kill us off.

 

I think it's important to look within our culture and likewise look outside of ours for examples. We as Americans live such rushed lives and generally we have very little connections with our families. I say that because compared to other cultures, who might spend 2-3 days a week eating, meeting, and living with extended family, some of us see brothers, sisters or parents a couple days a year. The meaning of family and the importance of relying on each other is passed down from generation to generation. This idea has been on the decline for a century in our own culture and therefore has created a lack of responsibility in other parts of our lives, such as Divorce, premarital sex, extra marital affairs, and even, gulp, abortions.

 

We, as Americans, have been so consumerized to love our gadgets and gizmos, that we need something new, batteries not included, with every changing season. Be it car, stereo, DVD, houses, golf clubs, whatever, we're taught an early age to love the corporate cum(to quote pedro the lion). All of this desire and need has to be financed somehow, and therefore we're forced to have 40, 50, 60 hour a week jobs...some of us having to travel 1-2 hours a day just to get to. so in order to feel better about ourselves, to have more stuff that makes us happy, we have to work more...longer...harder... How do we get that job? we're taught and molded and branded at age 6, when we take our IQ test...That helps the education system set aside the cream from the leftovers. throughout our public, private if you're (un)lucky, education we're told if you mess up now, you're future is s***. constantly taunting us and prodding us to conform into college bound frat boys and girls. after graduation we get jobs...get married...have kids....and the whole damn cycle starts over...oh yeah...and then you die.

 

In cultures throughou the world, some males spend 2-3 hours hunting, while the women spend 3-4 hours gathering and cooking. The rest of the time is spent on leisure activities(puff puff passin'). Their lives include significant less work, stress, and significantly more time for relaxing, being with family, and leading satisfying lives.

 

I live in a culture where the two ruling parties would rather see the other crash and burn in a scandalous coverup, than poverty and war be eliminated. Some people spend their days happy, with family, and relatively stress free.

 

The world is better off for whom? The world is worse off for which person?

[Texsox]

I do have to take exception to this statement.  I read in National Geographic, (within either August or September) that slavery is actually at an all time high.  There are 27 million slaves world wide, and are located in EVERY industrialized country including the US.  As a matter of a fact there are more slaves today than were brought over from Africa during the entire span of the African slave trade.  It is a facinating article and I recommend highly that all people should read it.

Great catch.

 

Interesting you brought up that Natiopnal Geographic report. I read it also and it sparked a little research. It is very fascinating. There is some dispute on how to determined the number and who is considered a slave. Other theorist look at some kingdoms and old societies and claim a higher percentage of people were slaves back then.

 

The problem is definition. If you lived under the rule of a king. The king demanded your labor, and in return provided shelter, etc. where you a slave? You were most definately not able to freely move about. If everyone is a slave except the king, and everyone has the same degree of freedom (zero) are there slaves?

 

Some were slaves of technology and poverty. Where else to go? and if you could go somewhere else, how would you get there. The analysis was that people today have a much greater choice and freedom in careers, where to live, etc. They are not locked in by legal, social, ethical, or any other factors. THe level of slavery is less today than before.

 

However, I will agree that perhaps more slaves, as a number, are indebtured today. Just like there are more scientists, lawyers, doctors, and college students. The population has grown. As a percentage it is less. And during other times slavery was looked upon as good business. Today there is a chance of ending the practice because the world condems the practice. So once again, IMHO we are better off today not worse off.

[Yossarian]

Socially, culturally, intellectually the world is a much worse place than it was in my youth. That being said Texsox makes many fine points. It is a complicated multifaceted situation. I tell my kids the "good old days" were just that in many ways. In so many other ways they were not. Time marches on, waits for no one and the world is not the least bit sentimental. As for me I find most of the "improvements" to be in the technological sphere. I find the quality of just about everything else a little bit worse every year. I realize that this is more than likely a minority opinion.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I think that the things that are better are MUCH better, and the things that are worse are MUCH worse.

 

For example, while you don't hear about Russia dropping an A bomb anymore, you now hear about countless countries attempting to develop or in fact developing nuclear weaponry. We seem to have many more enemies than in the past, when it was a focus on the USSR or Cuba or Japan. Now it seems there is another wildcat rebel group threatening our destruction every week or two.

I'm totally with you on that account. In a perverse way I kinda miss having the Soviets around because at least with them you knew who the enemy was, where he lived and how to kill him should it become necessary. Nowadays the enemy, Islamic terrorists, have no homeland to protect so M.A.D. isin't viable, they are motivated by religion, or their perverse interpetation of it, so death means nothing to them and it takes a great deal of resources and effort to keep them from attacking us.