The bad, the sad and the ugly
2014 was not a happy year in the world. Climate change lead to another warmest year on record - and weird weather patterns from very warm winter in Europe (and melting Olympics) and record heat waves in Australia (50 oC!) to severe drought in California, South Africa, China and Brazil, extreme floods in Africa, Indian subcontinent and Europe and cold eastern part of North America. Let's hope the food shortages are not going to be too bad.
The anti-vaccine movement has achieved giving us vaccination related deaths when the lack of vaccinations has led to resurgence of almost forgotten diseases. And the Ebola outbreak is still going on in West Africa and people are still dying (even thought it stopped being on the news now that no Westerners are sick). And still even more people die from flu and malaria every year.
And then there was all the things we did to each other. From the nightmare fuel of ISIL and Boko Haram to Vladimir Putin's using Hiler's tactics and excuses for territory grab. The racial tensions in US and Brazilian protests against World Cup corruption (and FIFA washing their hands of slavery and death in Quatar and proving to everyone that they are the pit of corruption and evil). The internets full of misogyny (both stolen pictures and Gamergate). It's sometimes hard to believe all the kinds of evil people will do to others and then explain it as just and necessary and for the greater good even when you see it happening in front of your eyes. Do Boko Haram and ISIL leaders really believe "god" wants them to kill and rape kids? Was the "defending" of ethnic Russian's in Ukraine worth them dying in war torn land and the economic collapse of your country? What kind of denial makes killing unarmed people justified? Or threatening someone with death and rape just because they said/wrote something you didn't agree with? Or ignoring death and suffering just so you don't have to admit you were wrong? I'm not even going to link any of that because it's already too depressing and I haven't even mentioned the random terror attacks, shootings and Bill Cosby.
And, of course, my cat died so I can't even find respite in my personal life.
There were some good stories - especially Malala one of hope and bravery - but this has been a bad year. I hope next one will be better.
The anti-vaccine movement has achieved giving us vaccination related deaths when the lack of vaccinations has led to resurgence of almost forgotten diseases. And the Ebola outbreak is still going on in West Africa and people are still dying (even thought it stopped being on the news now that no Westerners are sick). And still even more people die from flu and malaria every year.
And then there was all the things we did to each other. From the nightmare fuel of ISIL and Boko Haram to Vladimir Putin's using Hiler's tactics and excuses for territory grab. The racial tensions in US and Brazilian protests against World Cup corruption (and FIFA washing their hands of slavery and death in Quatar and proving to everyone that they are the pit of corruption and evil). The internets full of misogyny (both stolen pictures and Gamergate). It's sometimes hard to believe all the kinds of evil people will do to others and then explain it as just and necessary and for the greater good even when you see it happening in front of your eyes. Do Boko Haram and ISIL leaders really believe "god" wants them to kill and rape kids? Was the "defending" of ethnic Russian's in Ukraine worth them dying in war torn land and the economic collapse of your country? What kind of denial makes killing unarmed people justified? Or threatening someone with death and rape just because they said/wrote something you didn't agree with? Or ignoring death and suffering just so you don't have to admit you were wrong? I'm not even going to link any of that because it's already too depressing and I haven't even mentioned the random terror attacks, shootings and Bill Cosby.
And, of course, my cat died so I can't even find respite in my personal life.
There were some good stories - especially Malala one of hope and bravery - but this has been a bad year. I hope next one will be better.