+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 #1 Share Posted October 9, 2018 We are force fed negativity through our news media. Some long for the "good old days". People despair because they are convinced we are all on the verge of collapse and will be forced to live the life portrayed in the Road Warrior. Fear not. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted October 9, 2018 #2 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Fake news. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted October 9, 2018 #3 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Yep... everything's coming up roses 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted October 9, 2018 #4 Share Posted October 9, 2018 That's pretty much the truth for a large chunk of human history, in general, excluding some very negative episodes, things have usually been getting better rather than worse. Sure, there will always be problems and new and unexpected threads and calamities and crises. But...every decade/century has it's perils Take it from someone who would have gotten stones chucked at him for showing affection in public with their partner only 30 years ago. Things are overall, on the average, better than in the past. At least for us lucky ones in the developed world... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted October 9, 2018 #5 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Yes, but one must never forget that the worse may very well still happen, in an instance. ~ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #6 Share Posted October 9, 2018 7 minutes ago, third_eye said: Yes, but one must never forget that the worse may very well still happen, in an instance. ~ Global nuclear war? The chances are decreasing. The chances of a localized occurrence are perhaps on the increase, but I have faith. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted October 9, 2018 #7 Share Posted October 9, 2018 All this optimism is creeping me out. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted October 9, 2018 #8 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Just now, OverSword said: Global nuclear war? Nope. Even if things go nuclear there is no point worrying because there will be nothing left to worry for. What concerns more of everyone is another perpetual war on top of the current unending 'Global' conflicts. ~ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #9 Share Posted October 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, third_eye said: Nope. Even if things go nuclear there is no point worrying because there will be nothing left to worry for. What concerns more of everyone is another perpetual war on top of the current unending 'Global' conflicts. ~ The current global conflicts are (IMO) the slowing down and extensions of the perpetual war. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHaYap Posted October 9, 2018 #10 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Just now, OverSword said: The current global conflicts are (IMO) the slowing down and extensions of the perpetual war. That's what I mean, slowing down in no ways by default renders it to a stop, everything may still spin on a lousy dime ~ [00.03:24] ~ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Caspian Hare Posted October 9, 2018 #11 Share Posted October 9, 2018 26 minutes ago, XenoFish said: All this optimism is creeping me out. Never fear; I've got a dose of doom that'll knock that hope right out of you! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/john-gray-steven-pinker-wrong-violence-war-declining Quote John Gray: Steven Pinker is wrong about violence and war A new orthodoxy, led by Pinker, holds that war and violence in the developed world are declining. The stats are misleading, argues Gray – and the idea of moral progress is wishful thinking and plain wrong 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep73 Posted October 9, 2018 #12 Share Posted October 9, 2018 There's a difference between better and "less worse". We are currently in the progress of slowing down our effort to self destruct. Time will show if we started slowing down too late or not. I myself is vaguely optimistic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #13 Share Posted October 9, 2018 1 hour ago, The Caspian Hare said: Never fear; I've got a dose of doom that'll knock that hope right out of you! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/13/john-gray-steven-pinker-wrong-violence-war-declining Yes I'm sure that the decreasing numbers of wars and total casualties is of small comfort to those having their homes blown up and their people killed in the current wars. It's still less wars and less casualties overall world wide as time goes on. And how about the other things measured to determine things improving such as percentile of people starving to death, literacy rates, technologies that make day to day life less rigorous, infant mortality, access to clean water, the list goes on. Nope. Sorry. The world has mainly been getting better if you're a human throughout our recorded history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer77 Posted October 9, 2018 #14 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 2 minutes ago, OverSword said: And how about the other things measured to determine things improving such as percentile of people starving to death, literacy rates, technologies that make day to day life less rigorous, infant mortality, access to clean water, the list goes on. Nope. Sorry. The world has mainly been getting better if you're a human throughout our recorded history. All of this is correct and is the reason I rail against the Trump regime so hard. Look at your list of the good things where humans have progressed and try and find a single one that the regime isnt trying to either completely reverse or stand in the way of happening. Its not conservative its simply regressive. Edited October 9, 2018 by Farmer77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #15 Share Posted October 9, 2018 3 minutes ago, Farmer77 said: All of this is correct and is the reason I rail against the Trump regime so hard. Look at your list of the good things where humans have progressed and try and find a single one that the regime isnt trying to either completely reverse or stand in the way of happening. Its not conservative its simply regressive. My goodness how this is not about Trump. And be realistic, in 2020 or 2024 there will be someone elected who will likely reinstate many of the loosened environmental regulations that are contributing to the current growth. It's been like this forever. back and forth, two steps forward one step back. A wise man said the following: "Fall mountains, just don't fall on me." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer77 Posted October 9, 2018 #16 Share Posted October 9, 2018 1 minute ago, OverSword said: My goodness how this is not about Trump. And be realistic, in 2020 or 2024 there will be someone elected who will likely reinstate many of the loosened environmental regulations that are contributing to the current growth. It's been like this forever. back and forth, two steps forward one step back. A wise man said the following: "Fall mountains, just don't fall on me." Yes but my concern is that much like with the Clinton cult of personality this regime may go away but we'll be dealing with its acolytes for a generation or more which makes speaking out important. Overall I agree with and appreciate your sentiment in this thread it has just become obvious to me that there are folks actively working against the things this thread is celebrating and I thought it was worth mentioning. I wont do that to your thread anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Just now, Farmer77 said: Yes but my concern is that much like with the Clinton cult of personality this regime may go away but we'll be dealing with its acolytes for a generation or more which makes speaking out important. Overall I agree with and appreciate your sentiment in this thread it has just become obvious to me that there are folks actively working against the things this thread is celebrating and I thought it was worth mentioning. I wont do that to your thread anymore. Well, I don't think they are working against overall prosperity, just focusing on different aspects. For example, if the current tariff wars resulted in an end to tariffs between China and USA the prosperity would be mutual for consumers and producers in both nations, and conditions in both places improves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted October 9, 2018 #18 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 30 minutes ago, OverSword said: access to clean water Except for the 2014 Flint water crisis under Obama's watch. It funny that everyone blames whatever president is in office for everything and not a soul (news) blamed that on Obama Edited October 9, 2018 by Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer77 Posted October 9, 2018 #19 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, OverSword said: Well, I don't think they are working against overall prosperity, just focusing on different aspects. I think their tax plan is evidence against the overall part of that. Especially after the reality that the first round of tax cuts werent reinvested as the government had claimed they would be. Guess where the corporate tax cut money is flowing Edited October 9, 2018 by Farmer77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted October 9, 2018 4 minutes ago, Michelle said: Except for the 2014 Flint water crisis under Obama's watch. It funny that everyone blames whatever president is in office for everything and not a soul (news) blamed that on Obama I can't remember who but I saw some black comedian from Michigan tearing Obama a new one over that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #21 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Farmer77 said: I think their tax plan is evidence against the overall part of that. Especially after the reality that the first round of tax cuts werent reinvested as the government had claimed they would be. Guess where the corporate tax cut money is flowing Really? Because I got a bonus personally. And guess what? When there is someone else in office it's going to change again. Why is everything Trump with you Farmer? Edited October 9, 2018 by OverSword Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer77 Posted October 9, 2018 #22 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 8 minutes ago, OverSword said: Why is everything Trump with you Farmer? Two reasons : 1. Because thats who is in power now. When everything changes ill be railing against the schemes of whomever is currently in power. 2. Because he has, in my world, been a joke of a human being since I was a young child. He's always been a comical caricature of corruption, literally the perfect example of what not to be in life and that was before he ran a campaign based almost solely on anger and racial fear and before he made our nation a laughingstock world wide as POTUS while proving that previously held perception to be true. 8 minutes ago, OverSword said: Because I got a bonus personally. Thats good. That did happen but the majority of companies simply raised their portfolios by buying stocks back. Edited October 9, 2018 by Farmer77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted October 9, 2018 #23 Share Posted October 9, 2018 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Caspian Hare Posted October 9, 2018 #24 Share Posted October 9, 2018 2 hours ago, OverSword said: Yes I'm sure that the decreasing numbers of wars and total casualties is of small comfort to those having their homes blown up and their people killed in the current wars. It's still less wars and less casualties overall world wide as time goes on. And how about the other things measured to determine things improving such as percentile of people starving to death, literacy rates, technologies that make day to day life less rigorous, infant mortality, access to clean water, the list goes on. Nope. Sorry. The world has mainly been getting better if you're a human throughout our recorded history. I think all we did is replace wars between states with wars within states, great power confrontation with war-by-proxy waged in smaller countries, combatant casualties with non-combatant casualties, conventional, war with unconventional war. The "long peace" we supposedly have is just the same old wars of the past, stretched wide and thin over geography and time, that's all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted October 9, 2018 Author #25 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 30 minutes ago, The Caspian Hare said: I think all we did is replace wars between states with wars within states, great power confrontation with war-by-proxy waged in smaller countries, combatant casualties with non-combatant casualties, conventional, war with unconventional war. The "long peace" we supposedly have is just the same old wars of the past, stretched wide and thin over geography and time, that's all. Did you see the numbers? Less people killed by war. No comfort to those killed of course but less people overall worldwide. And again, that's not the only measure we take when assessing if life is getting better as time moves on. Edited October 9, 2018 by OverSword Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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