Is the state of the world really as dire as world leaders who recently spoke at the U.N. General Assembly would lead us to believe? Have we all gotten carried away with gloom and doom? For Argentina’s Diario Decuyo, columnist Andrés Oppenheimer cites a recent report that asserts things are on the upswing almost everywhere, from life expectancy to education levels to the number of wars.
For the Diario Decuyo, Andrés Oppenheimer writes in part:
Although there are enormous threats on several fronts, the world is getting better. in the context of history, progress in undeniable. The massive humanitarian aid sent to Haiti, Pakistan and Japan after the recent tragedies in those countries, as well as the solidarity shown pro-democracy movements in the Arab world are just the most recent examples how we are more interconnected – and more concerned for our fellow human beings.
If you could choose between living 200 years ago or living today, which would you pick? Even the most recalcitrant pessimists have to admit that it wasn’t much fun living when life expectancy was less than 40 years and there was no anesthesia for when you had a toothache.
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