For those say in their 60s or 70s here. When you were in your 30’s or 40’s did you have the feeling that the world was a fucked up place? So much has been going on since I entered adulthood in the early 2000s and I feel like it’s getting more and more intense. It’s never ending.
Is it unique? Or has it always been this way?
Not anymore. Conflict around the world has statistically shot way up. There’s also a significant increase in political polarisation around the world.
If you’re comparing to a decade ago, yes. However, even with the increased number of wars, it is still more peaceful than before 1945.
Not more peaceful than 1945. The way things are going to total death toll of war will become comparable to WWII.
But between WWII and 2016 we have seen a decline of conflict. Now we’re seeing an incredibly steep increase.
I question that. In colonial times and in tribal times, there were huge amounts of conflicts. And conflicts is only a tiny part of how the world is running. Slavery, human rights, minority treatment, just laws, poverty, standard of living, etc. On average world wide, we are far better off. The majority of the people in the first world have luxuries that only kings and nobles used to have.
Between the end of World War 2 and 2016 the world has seen a steady and significant decline in global conflict.
Immediately after 2016 that statistic has been shooting upward rather steeply.
Those conflicts didn’t have drone strikes though
You’re right on both counts.
Like most things though it depends what metric you’re using.
Access to medical care for example is better than its ever been.
Only in specific parts of the world. Other parts have always been behind, or straight up non-existent, and in one country access to medical care is actually getting worse when it really has no reason to.
I don’t really understand. Some places may have less medical care than others but it’s still better than it’s ever been in those places.