BETTER YET

Max Roser at ourworldindata.org writes:

"The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. All three statements are true at the same time."

He illustrates this truth by looking at statistics on child mortality. 

Currently, worldwide, 4.3% of children die before their 15th birthday. 

"This means that 5.9 million children die every year - 16,000 children on any average day, and 11 children every minute." 

This is tragic. It is worth every effort to improve upon this situation. 

But historical perspective is helpful. And it may save us from despondency and hopelessness.

Historians estimate that before 1800, the rate was much closer to 50%.

When we consider that over the last 200 years we have seen the child mortality rate drop from 50% to 4.3%, shouldn't we pause and celebrate?  And THEN redouble our efforts to continue the improvements? 

It seems to me that the majority of present day "activists" for so many causes - both religious and secular - are blind to historical perspective. 

They seem incapable of admitting any progress whatsoever. Instead, they must constantly stir up society with "the sky is falling" rhetoric. 

It is exhausting. And, over time, it erodes so much that is good:

• The mental health of the young
• National pride
• And, ironically, the incentive to continue working at bringing change.