The World and the United States Are Getting Better--Despite What You Read in the News

Both the world and the United States are getting better, despite what you read in the news. Certainly many problems exist, and I’ll briefly discuss a few of those at the end of this article. But, overall, things are improving. I want to focus on that.

Life Expectancies Are Increasing

The average life expectancy for a person in every country in the world was estimated to be under 40 years in the late 1700s and beginning of the 1800s by OurWorldInData.org[1]. According to the United Nations World Mortality 2019 Data Book[2], “worldwide, life expectancy at birth . . . reached 73 years in 2019.” This 2019 figure is apparently a record since statistics began being kept.

In the last few years the life expectancy in the United States has decreased, but this is attributed primarily to preventable deaths from suicides and drug abuse according to a Centers for Disease Control report discussed in a CNBC article[3] and other news sources.

Future projections are subject to change, but the United Nations projects life expectancies to continue to increase through the year 2100, the last year mentioned in a chart in its “World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights[4]” publication.

Fewer Abortions in the United States

Abortion became legal nationwide in the United States in 1973. Guttmacher.org reports[5] that in 2017 (the most recent year with available statistics) there were “13.5 abortions performed per 1,000 women aged 15-44. . . . This is the lowest rate ever observed in the United States.”

This decline in abortions is great news for pro-life persons like myself. And even pro-choice persons would prefer to avoid the pain, expense, and health risks of an abortion.

With increased practice of sexual abstinence, more consistent and effective use of contraceptives, and potentially reversing the United States Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, the number of abortions is likely to continue decreasing.

Fewer U.S. Combat Deaths in Recent U.S. Wars and No New World War

I hate war and would love for all conflicts to be resolved peacefully. But recent United States wars have resulted in far fewer U.S. deaths than past wars, as indicated by data on Statista.com.[6] This is a step in the correct direction.

Furthermore, there has not been a world war since the end of World War II in 1945.

Steps Are Being Taken to Reduce Pollution

The air and water are cleaner and safer to breathe and drink in the United States than during my childhood in the 1950s-1970s.

Progress toward renewable energy sources and electric motor vehicles indicate to me that air quality improvements will occur worldwide in the future. Countries like Norway are ahead of the United States on this issue, but even big polluters like China[7] and India[8] are taking corrective steps that should pay dividends in the future.

There is evidence that in recent years United States air quality has declined some though, based on EPA data the Associated Press analyzed.[9] And much remains to be done worldwide to improve air quality and water quality for all. But big steps are being taken worldwide than weren’t decades ago.

Overall Worldwide Poverty Is Declining According to a UN Measurement

While poverty rates are not declining everywhere or as fast as in past years, the United Nations reports[10] that “global poverty rates, measured as the proportion of people living below the $1.90 a day international poverty line, have continued to decline.”  Admittedly much remains to be done and that dollar figure must be adjusted for various economic conditions, but progress is being made.

Communication Improvements Are Occurring

Cheaper phone rates locally, nationally, and internationally, combined with email, Facebook, Twitter, etc., make it cheaper, easier, and faster to communicate with others. It’s easier to keep in contact with friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates, etc.

Language Barriers Are Being Overcome

Language translation devices available online that work with numerous languages enable one to translate material in seconds from one language to another. And this works on cell phones, too, which helps tourists, immigrants, international businesspersons, etc.

There’s Much Room for Improvement

Though I’m confident world conditions are improving overall, there remains much room for improvement. Conflicts remain between countries, political parties, and religious groups. Too many people remain in poverty, and pollution remains far too high.

Plans for the United Methodist Church to split, the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, and various other issues indicate divisions and problems that will I hope be resolved at some point.

We can and should work to correct the problems that we can in a reasonable way, but let’s recognize that we are better off than past generations. I certainly appreciate my cell phone, computer, air conditioning, radio, television, buses, rental cars, the Internet, word processing software, an abundant variety of quality food at reasonable prices in supermarkets near me, etc.

ENDNOTES:           

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[1] Max Roser, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, and Hannah Ritchie; “Life Expectancy”; OurWorldInData.org; First published in 2013, last revised in October 2019; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy

[2] “World Mortality 2019, Data Book”; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2019; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/mortality/WMR2019/WorldMortality2019DataBooklet.pdf

[3] Upton Saiidi; “US life expectancy has been declining. Here’s why”; CNBC.com; July 9, 2019; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/09/us-life-expectancy-has-been-declining-heres-why.html

[4] “World Population Prospects 2019 Highlights”; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2019; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf

[5] “September 2019 Fact Sheet, Induced Abortion in the United States”; Guttmacher Institute; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states

[6] “Number of killed soldiers in U.S. wars since World War I as of November 2019”; Statista.com; webpage accessed January 5, 2020: https://www.statista.com/statistics/265977/us-wars-number-of-casualties/

[7] Jack Guy; “China has saved hundreds of thousands of lives by reducing air pollution, study says”; CNN; November 19, 2010; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/asia/china-air-pollution-study-scli-intl-scn/index.html

[8] Anjali Jaiswal and Kim Knowlton and Vijay Limaye; “Highlighting City Actions to Reduce Air Pollution in India”; NRDC.org; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.nrdc.org/experts/vijay-limaye/highlighting-city-actions-reduce-air-pollution-india

[9] Seth Borenstein and Nicky Forster; “US air quality is slipping after years of improvement”; Associated Press; June 18, 2019; https://apnews.com/d3515b79af1246d08f7978f026c9092b

[10] “World Economic Situation and Prospects: October 2019 Briefing, No. 131”; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Economic Analysis; October 1, 2019; webpage accessed January 5, 2020; https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-october-2019-briefing-no-131/

NOTE:

This article being submitted to Google Blogger on January 6, 2020 is virtually identical to one the author submitted to Craft News Report (a website operated by his friend Paul Craft) on January 5, 2020.