The world is actually doing pretty well

As an counterpoint to the general doom and gloom about 2016, my uncle wrote in a recent post that 2016 was actually a pretty good year when he looked at immediate surroundings. He's right that we need to take a long-term view. Since I'm a person likes to believe what the data tell me, this blog post filled me with optimism. If we look at the past two centuries, the world is richer, more literate, healthier, more democratic, and more educated. By a lot. From the big picture perspective, I sure am lucky to be living in this century, where I am well-fed, well-educated, and healthy.