Is the world getting worse or has it always been this bad?

It is getting worse because there are more people competing for scarcer resources.

 

My world's pretty damn good!

 

I only think it's worse because of the compiling destruction to the natural environment and access to greater weapons. But we as people are essentially the same. On the plus side I think the world being more connected and becoming smaller has a greater potential for sharing ideas of peace.

 

Bring back those good ol' Medieval Age days where life was brutally but thankfully short!!! Married by 14, dead by 28.

 

It is all relative. The world has always known wars, violence, famine, plagues, natural disasters and resources scarcity. People are living longer now then ever before, most people aren't worried about conscription, and generally things are probably pretty good.

Now when you throw in our instant access to everything society where a bomb goes off on the other side of the planet and in ten minutues it is all over the Internet, things will seem bad. Also, with the rise in Earth's population, a natural disaster (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood) is more likely strike a population center. When the New Madrid quakes of 1811-1812 hit Mississippi valley, it didn't cause much of a problem. If that same quake hit today, oh boy; and why, because there are a bunch of people living in the area now.

I think life overall is pretty good at the moment. My youngest daughter wouldn't have survived her birth 100 years ago. Plus, we have the electric guitar now.

 

I haven't been rape and pillaged or contracted the plague.

The only thing that is getting really worse in the world is the access deviants have to explosives and remote detonators. You don't have to be very smart or have an afilliation with much a movement now to kill hundreds of people. Pretty much any Mofo that wants to can commit mass murder.

Entropy is an interesting concept that I think applies to everything, even social systems. The theory implies that everything moves from simplicity to chaos but that chaos is the more stable condition. In this case, every little ethnic division in the world wants self determination and is willing to commit acts of violence to get it. While it's true this is more chaotic, there are probably less people dying from violence world wide than when the great powers engage in all out warfare.

Simplicity= a few great powers in large conflicts
Chaos= lots of small ethnic conflicts

In the great powers conflicts tens of millions are killed and maimed. In global chaos maybe tens of thousands are killed and maimed.

 

We have a better understanding of the world. Unfortunately that understanding includes WMD and the deteriorating environment.

The quality of living has increased (some more than others), but the optimism in the 60's doesn't seem to have been met today. Dreams of flying cars, ray guns, space colonies, etc... weren't realized even though technology has been exploding.

I forgot where I heard this, it's like the dreams of tomorrow is like opening a Christmas present, but when you finally open it, you end up empty and disappointed. The media does more than its fair share to give that impression.

 

Well do they ultimately bring peace or sow seeds of true peace? I dont blame them for violence but lets be deeply honest...

 

The dreamers envisioned Ozzie and Harriet in space, but we ended up with Married with Children on Earth.

 

At least we're not getting decimated by plague infested rats.

 

I think things are overall not better or worse than they've been. We have great benefits now due to technology, global trade and communications. Human lifespans on the whole are rising along with human populations. At the same time we have wars with deadlier weapons and resources being denuded. It really depends on what standard you are using to judge better or worse. You could compile a ton of statistics saying things are better and a ton of statistics saying things are worse.

 

give it time.

 

i think i'm living in similar times.

married by 21, wished I was single by 22, wished I was dead by 23.

ps - this post is a rib...

 

Magic Johnson called. He said if you ever dream about including him and Sam Cassell in the same sentence again, you should wake up and apologize.

 

LMAO! I love Sam I Am as much as the next guy, but he ain't no Magic Johnson.

It's just tinman being tinman, I guess.