Meanwhile, in the real world: The antirant.
In the current general atmosphere of negativity, pessimism, xenophobia, and envy, I think we should periodically step back and look at what is really going on. By every metric, the world is getting better. Not just a little, but *amazingly* better. We're in a time of unprecedented peace, international poverty is falling. Technology, just over my life has delivered results that even science fiction failed to even keep up with, let alone predict! The human race is poised to colonize space, invent machines that have souls, download the human consciousness, conquer disease, hunger, and death itself! Battle deaths are at a record low, as is starvation, slavery, global number of child laborers (not fraction, NUMBER), poverty, deaths from preventable diseases (hell, the entire CONCEPT of "preventable disease" is new and amazing)... What else? I know there are a hundred historical ills that I haven't remembered here, and I will bet that NO ONE can find one that isn't getting better.
What an *amazing* time to be alive!
http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/detail/in-praise-of-capitalist-globalization
We live in a time when the *common man* has the purchasing power to enjoy exotic beverages made with ingredients from across the globe, and lovingly prepared for the specifics of their personal palate by the foremost experts in their fields (and we condense this wonder to 2 words "craft beer"). I have a little box that I carry in my pocket that can answer literally any question I may have, put me in contact, at a moments notice with anyone in the world, entertain me, educate me, confirm my biases, or shut them down ("Phone"). I literally have never known a single person that died of external violence. Not one. My father is alive today, because science has figured out how to literally open his chest and re-plumb his heart.
And we owe 100% of it to capitalism! Democracy, while a very good thing, is useful ONLY insofar as at facilitates free markets. Look at all the wonders on that list, and find me *one* that came about as a result of anything *but* free people trying to sell something, and having to make it smaller-faster-cheaper-better because of the competition.
What an *amazing* time to be alive!
http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/detail/in-praise-of-capitalist-globalization
We live in a time when the *common man* has the purchasing power to enjoy exotic beverages made with ingredients from across the globe, and lovingly prepared for the specifics of their personal palate by the foremost experts in their fields (and we condense this wonder to 2 words "craft beer"). I have a little box that I carry in my pocket that can answer literally any question I may have, put me in contact, at a moments notice with anyone in the world, entertain me, educate me, confirm my biases, or shut them down ("Phone"). I literally have never known a single person that died of external violence. Not one. My father is alive today, because science has figured out how to literally open his chest and re-plumb his heart.
And we owe 100% of it to capitalism! Democracy, while a very good thing, is useful ONLY insofar as at facilitates free markets. Look at all the wonders on that list, and find me *one* that came about as a result of anything *but* free people trying to sell something, and having to make it smaller-faster-cheaper-better because of the competition.