Going down the drain...

[fncceo]

Humans are a built-in failure machine.

Specious premise ... it that were true, we couldn't have gone from hunter gathers to a global civilization in a scant few thousand years.

Lots of failure along the way.

Significant net positive. You can measure individual humans as successes or failures but, as a species, we're undeniable successes.

You have a low bar for success.

As a species, human beings live longer, are more secure, have more comfortable lives, have more access to education, information, and entertainment, and are financially more secure than at any other time in human history. By any empirical measure, humans are a success.

How do you measure success?

How can you be both a libertarian and a misanthrope?

Let’s see...we’re polluting the planet, government everywhere is criminal and corrupt, the extreme wealthy transnational capitalists run everything, a large percentage of the world’s population live in squalor, poverty, and disease. Wars can break out at any moment causing massive loss of life. The Empire controls the world and is prepared to mass murder any nation who opposes it. Corruption exists in nearly every industry including healthcare, big business, academia, science, etc.

...but yeah, some of us have it pretty good.

We've always polluted the planet. Pollution is the by-product of civilization. Neolithic settlements excavated in modern times had huge trash dumps surrounding them. 120 years ago, every street in every major city on the planet was ankle deep in horse manure. The River Thames was so full of effluence and waste that the stench was terrible from five miles away. The City of London experienced such bad air pollution that people couldn't see their hand in front of their face in broad daylight. Thousands died every year from breathing. Downtown New York City was a stinking cesspool of toxic ponds from tanneries and breweries.

Extremely wealthy transnational organizations make everything. Not only that, they make everything possible. Mobile communications at speed unimagined only three decades ago. Computers many thousands of times faster and bigger than those 40 years ago at a cost several times less than their '70s counterparts. Hundreds of thousands of products that didn't exist 40 years ago available at prices nearly anyone can afford. 1.3 BILLION mobile phones in India alone, nearly one for every single woman man, woman, and child in the country.

In past centuries, 95% of the world lived in squalor, poverty, and disease. That number is now 8.7% of the entire global population.

It would be impossible to name a century in human history (or pre-history) without brutal, bloody, and frequent wars. However, statistically speaking, we live in a time where fewer people (soldiers and civilians) die in wars than ever before. Steven Pinker, author of "Better Angels of our Nature", did an exhaustive study of violent death in world history and even including the horrific wars of the early 20th century, we live in the most peaceful era since humans first came down from trees.

Corruption, which I assume you mean to be illicit collaboration between government and business, has been around since the first king gave license to his brother-in-law the sword maker to make all the weapons for his army. However, in these days of instant communication where every single person on earth is carrying a high-def camera capable of broadcasting to the entire planet, corruption is more and more difficult to hide. Back room deals are impossible to hide when the back rooms have been huge digital windows through which everyone can watch.

It's easy to bemoan the state of the world and it's certainly a great way to impress girls at parties. But, by any objective measurement, we live in a golden age of humanity.

 

[gipper]

Humans are a built-in failure machine.

Specious premise ... it that were true, we couldn't have gone from hunter gathers to a global civilization in a scant few thousand years.

Lots of failure along the way.

Significant net positive. You can measure individual humans as successes or failures but, as a species, we're undeniable successes.

You have a low bar for success.

As a species, human beings live longer, are more secure, have more comfortable lives, have more access to education, information, and entertainment, and are financially more secure than at any other time in human history. By any empirical measure, humans are a success.

How do you measure success?

How can you be both a libertarian and a misanthrope?

Let’s see...we’re polluting the planet, government everywhere is criminal and corrupt, the extreme wealthy transnational capitalists run everything, a large percentage of the world’s population live in squalor, poverty, and disease. Wars can break out at any moment causing massive loss of life. The Empire controls the world and is prepared to mass murder any nation who opposes it. Corruption exists in nearly every industry including healthcare, big business, academia, science, etc.

...but yeah, some of us have it pretty good.

We've always polluted the planet. Pollution is the by-product of civilization. Neolithic settlements excavated in modern times had huge trash dumps surrounding them. 120 years ago, every street in every major city on the planet was ankle deep in horse manure. The River Thames was so full of effluence and waste that the stench was terrible from five miles away. The City of London experienced such bad air pollution that people couldn't see their hand in front of their face in broad daylight. Thousands died every year from breathing. Downtown New York City was a stinking cesspool of toxic ponds from tanneries and breweries.

Extremely wealthy transnational organizations make everything. Not only that, they make everything possible. Mobile communications at speed unimagined only three decades ago. Computers many thousands of times faster and bigger than those 40 years ago at a cost several times less than their '70s counterparts. Hundreds of thousands of products that didn't exist 40 years ago available at prices nearly anyone can afford. 1.3 BILLION mobile phones in India alone, nearly one for every single woman man, woman, and child in the country.

In past centuries, 95% of the world lived in squalor, poverty, and disease. That number is now 8.7% of the entire global population.

It would be impossible to name a century in human history (or pre-history) without brutal, bloody, and frequent wars. However, statistically speaking, we live in a time where fewer people (soldiers and civilians) die in wars than ever before. Steven Pinker, author of "Better Angels of our Nature", did an exhaustive study of violent death in world history and even including the horrific wars of the early 20th century, we live in the most peaceful era since humans first came down from trees.

Corruption, which I assume you mean to be illicit collaboration between government and business, has been around since the first king gave license to his brother-in-law the sword maker to make all the weapons for his army. However, in these days of instant communication where every single person on earth is carrying a high-def camera capable of broadcasting to the entire planet, corruption is more and more difficult to hide. Back room deals are impossible to hide when the back rooms have been huge digital windows through which everyone can watch.

It's easy to bemoan the state of the world and it's certainly a great way to impress girls at parties. But, by any objective measurement, we live in a golden age of humanity.

You can convince yourself that everything is peachy, while ignoring the obvious. It’s one way to live.

 

[gipper]

Throughout America, state, local, and federal government epitomize failure.

Yep...pretty much
Local and state varies by degree .....but yeah pretty much

Tons of jobs out there ..i seeing help wanted everywhere ...half the frigging proletariat ain't goin back until the feds 600 dollars a week extra runs out

Why should they go back to work, when they make more money not working?

I wonder what the impact of this is for small business owners. How will they employ workers, when none are willing to work?

 

[fncceo]

Humans are a built-in failure machine.

Specious premise ... it that were true, we couldn't have gone from hunter gathers to a global civilization in a scant few thousand years.

Lots of failure along the way.

Significant net positive. You can measure individual humans as successes or failures but, as a species, we're undeniable successes.

You have a low bar for success.

As a species, human beings live longer, are more secure, have more comfortable lives, have more access to education, information, and entertainment, and are financially more secure than at any other time in human history. By any empirical measure, humans are a success.

How do you measure success?

How can you be both a libertarian and a misanthrope?

Let’s see...we’re polluting the planet, government everywhere is criminal and corrupt, the extreme wealthy transnational capitalists run everything, a large percentage of the world’s population live in squalor, poverty, and disease. Wars can break out at any moment causing massive loss of life. The Empire controls the world and is prepared to mass murder any nation who opposes it. Corruption exists in nearly every industry including healthcare, big business, academia, science, etc.

...but yeah, some of us have it pretty good.

We've always polluted the planet. Pollution is the by-product of civilization. Neolithic settlements excavated in modern times had huge trash dumps surrounding them. 120 years ago, every street in every major city on the planet was ankle deep in horse manure. The River Thames was so full of effluence and waste that the stench was terrible from five miles away. The City of London experienced such bad air pollution that people couldn't see their hand in front of their face in broad daylight. Thousands died every year from breathing. Downtown New York City was a stinking cesspool of toxic ponds from tanneries and breweries.

Extremely wealthy transnational organizations make everything. Not only that, they make everything possible. Mobile communications at speed unimagined only three decades ago. Computers many thousands of times faster and bigger than those 40 years ago at a cost several times less than their '70s counterparts. Hundreds of thousands of products that didn't exist 40 years ago available at prices nearly anyone can afford. 1.3 BILLION mobile phones in India alone, nearly one for every single woman man, woman, and child in the country.

In past centuries, 95% of the world lived in squalor, poverty, and disease. That number is now 8.7% of the entire global population.

It would be impossible to name a century in human history (or pre-history) without brutal, bloody, and frequent wars. However, statistically speaking, we live in a time where fewer people (soldiers and civilians) die in wars than ever before. Steven Pinker, author of "Better Angels of our Nature", did an exhaustive study of violent death in world history and even including the horrific wars of the early 20th century, we live in the most peaceful era since humans first came down from trees.

Corruption, which I assume you mean to be illicit collaboration between government and business, has been around since the first king gave license to his brother-in-law the sword maker to make all the weapons for his army. However, in these days of instant communication where every single person on earth is carrying a high-def camera capable of broadcasting to the entire planet, corruption is more and more difficult to hide. Back room deals are impossible to hide when the back rooms have been huge digital windows through which everyone can watch.

It's easy to bemoan the state of the world and it's certainly a great way to impress girls at parties. But, by any objective measurement, we live in a golden age of humanity.

You can convince yourself that everything is peachy, while ignoring the obvious. It’s one way to live.

Prove me wrong ... facts and figures ... not emotion and doomsaying.

 

[gipper]

Humans are a built-in failure machine.

Specious premise ... it that were true, we couldn't have gone from hunter gathers to a global civilization in a scant few thousand years.

Lots of failure along the way.

Significant net positive. You can measure individual humans as successes or failures but, as a species, we're undeniable successes.

You have a low bar for success.

As a species, human beings live longer, are more secure, have more comfortable lives, have more access to education, information, and entertainment, and are financially more secure than at any other time in human history. By any empirical measure, humans are a success.

How do you measure success?

How can you be both a libertarian and a misanthrope?

Let’s see...we’re polluting the planet, government everywhere is criminal and corrupt, the extreme wealthy transnational capitalists run everything, a large percentage of the world’s population live in squalor, poverty, and disease. Wars can break out at any moment causing massive loss of life. The Empire controls the world and is prepared to mass murder any nation who opposes it. Corruption exists in nearly every industry including healthcare, big business, academia, science, etc.

...but yeah, some of us have it pretty good.

We've always polluted the planet. Pollution is the by-product of civilization. Neolithic settlements excavated in modern times had huge trash dumps surrounding them. 120 years ago, every street in every major city on the planet was ankle deep in horse manure. The River Thames was so full of effluence and waste that the stench was terrible from five miles away. The City of London experienced such bad air pollution that people couldn't see their hand in front of their face in broad daylight. Thousands died every year from breathing. Downtown New York City was a stinking cesspool of toxic ponds from tanneries and breweries.

Extremely wealthy transnational organizations make everything. Not only that, they make everything possible. Mobile communications at speed unimagined only three decades ago. Computers many thousands of times faster and bigger than those 40 years ago at a cost several times less than their '70s counterparts. Hundreds of thousands of products that didn't exist 40 years ago available at prices nearly anyone can afford. 1.3 BILLION mobile phones in India alone, nearly one for every single woman man, woman, and child in the country.

In past centuries, 95% of the world lived in squalor, poverty, and disease. That number is now 8.7% of the entire global population.

It would be impossible to name a century in human history (or pre-history) without brutal, bloody, and frequent wars. However, statistically speaking, we live in a time where fewer people (soldiers and civilians) die in wars than ever before. Steven Pinker, author of "Better Angels of our Nature", did an exhaustive study of violent death in world history and even including the horrific wars of the early 20th century, we live in the most peaceful era since humans first came down from trees.

Corruption, which I assume you mean to be illicit collaboration between government and business, has been around since the first king gave license to his brother-in-law the sword maker to make all the weapons for his army. However, in these days of instant communication where every single person on earth is carrying a high-def camera capable of broadcasting to the entire planet, corruption is more and more difficult to hide. Back room deals are impossible to hide when the back rooms have been huge digital windows through which everyone can watch.

It's easy to bemoan the state of the world and it's certainly a great way to impress girls at parties. But, by any objective measurement, we live in a golden age of humanity.

You can convince yourself that everything is peachy, while ignoring the obvious. It’s one way to live.

Prove me wrong ... facts and figures ... not emotion and doomsaying.

Reality proves you wrong.