These are the best times

Charles Kenny Foreign Policy

You may not have heard, said Charles Kenny, but the greatest decade in human history is now drawing to a close. True, the first 10 years of the 21st century featured several bloody wars, an earthquake in Haiti, a hurricane in New Orleans, and a worldwide recession - not to mention the worst terriost attack ever on American soil. But in the 'Naughty Aughties," the planet's 6 billion residents "lived better, longer, more peaceful and more prosperous lives than ever before. " Global financial crisis notwithstanding, human beings today earn more than they ever have. Education and lteracy levels rose, while war, poverty, and disease declined. As more people - especially women - have become better educated, child mortality has dropped and life expectancy has increased. Thanks to technology, however, we have become enveloped in a web of media, which enables us to "witness the tragedy of millions" every time some terrible misfortune occurs. That's why there's such a widespread, gloomy view of a truly golden era.

The Weel September 3 - 10 2010