this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2023
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Your perspective is distorted, things are incredible and getting better by most metrics.
While we certainly have our challenges to overcome, like climate change, wealth inequality, and social problems, let's not forget how good we have it.
The snark it is strong, I can't hold it in today. I have to say, yeah, and the world economy, particularly the U.S. housing market, was incredible in 2006. Okay, that out of the way, for perspective:
All in all, I agree that we have had it pretty good for the past 70 years, and we should not forget that. But let's also not breezily dismiss the looming disasters we face, because if the world were a Titanic metaphor, we've just hit the iceberg. The buffet is still laid out, the band is still playing, the lights are on, and the champagne is still bubbling, but it'd be ridiculous to dismiss fellow passengers' anxiety.
I agree with all of this whole heartedly. I particularly like the titanic metaphor.
It seems absurd to me to say that "things are going great! we have abundant food & water!". Science is telling us very clearly that water scarcity is going to be a huge problem in the near future.
We're presently living through a mass extinction event also - very concerning as regards food stocks.
How near?
Judging by the skyrocketing prices of arable land in high rainfall areas... now ?
Don't forget accelerating global warming that will get catastrophic in just a few decades, even if we went carbon negative right at this second
While we certainly have our incredibly massive, systemic challenges to overcome, like climate change (ha!), wealth inequality (ha ha!), and social problems (hahaha!), let's not forget how good we (when you say we, you certainly mean your ingroup) could have it if we tore down this corrupt edifice and built an efficient, sustainable, just world.
This is a great outlook. It's important to not lose sight of the problems that do exist and try to work towards solving them, yes. But don't lose sight of the positives, either.
My answer to the question asked would likely be, I've been depressed my whole life, what's another problem. Lol
But we do have to recognize that in spite of all of the bad we can list, there's a lot of good as well.
Facts
Preach