Has the world become more evil recently?

When I was in my 20's and probably through my 30's I thought the world was actually a pretty wonderful place. Generally peaceful with outbreaks of violence, cruelty and hate. But now I'm 47 and I don't know if the world has changed of if it is just my view of the world. It seems to me that our world is rocked by violence and hate everywhere I go. It doesn't matter if we want to talk global issues or local issues, it just seems like there are bad things out there that are much worse, and much more common, than in the past.

Oh don't get me wrong, I don't think I am unsafe sitting at my desk or out grocery shopping with my family. And yes, I know that Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot exterminated people by the thousands (and millions).

But the more I look around the more I see bad things. Here is a little article that sums up some of the events from just the last 7 days. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2008/04/08/its_a_bad_world?page=full&comments=true This article leaves out so many other bad things that have happened but it sort of shows a glimpse of some of the bad highlights:

In Tibet, according to an Associated Press report, "police opened fire on hundreds of Buddhist monks and lay people who had marched on local government offices to demand the release of two monks detained for possessing photographs of the Dalai Lama. . .

"The Virginia Department of Education reported that 255 elementary students were suspended last year for offensive sexual touching, or 'improper physical contact against a student.' In Maryland, 166 elementary school children were suspended last year for sexual harassment, including three preschoolers, 16 kindergartners and 22 first-graders, according to the State Department of Education.". .

Human Rights Watch released a report that the government of Sudan "is giving [Sudanese Arab gangs] a license to rape" black women and girls in Darfur. . .

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And then take a look at the thread posted by American Woman: http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=15527
Or this one by Danny: http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=15452


I know that the world has always had bad people and that bad acts occurred. The advent of rapid communication certainly seems to bring all this violence to the forefront and we are spoon fed bad news on the TV news daily. Am I just feeling down, or is evil creeping back into the world, perhaps even overtaking good?

I think our awareness of evil is greater these days. A lot of stuff that used to happen never went reported.

PBinWA said:

I think our awareness of evil is greater these days. A lot of stuff that used to happen never went reported.

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That pretty much sums it up, but I think because of the news showing more of it that exists, some that are on the fence do things that they may not have done before because of the publicity that they can get from doing a crime.

Youtube is full of copycat stuff that most would have never thought about doing until they found they can get an audience.

fogtender said:

That pretty much sums it up, but I think because of the news showing more of it that exists. . .

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Well if you look at the mass shootings at the college campuses as just one example, is this a case of people simply trying to be more evil than the next guy, leading to more and more evil in the world?

I don't think dictators of nations try to out-do each other in genocide, but on an individual level I wonder if we people are feeding off of the evil and elevating it to the next level with each new incident.

Looks like we're headed in the wrong direction and I don't have high hopes
for a turnaround.

PBinWA said:

I think our awareness of evil is greater these days. A lot of stuff that used to happen never went reported.

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The world is not any worse than years ago, we all just have a greater awareness as PB said.

School shootings or other mass murders, terrorism, senseless beatings all were around years ago. Back then people were ashamed of these things and took care of the issue without a lot of publicity. Then the incident was covered up (for the good or bad of it) because they were ashamed something like that could happen in their family/community/country.

Now people are more interested in a book deal, an appearance on Springer, or the general publicity of being famous for something outrageous than anything else.

Av8r3400 said:

The world is not any worse than years ago, we all just have a greater awareness as PB said.

School shootings or other mass murders, terrorism, senseless beatings all were around years ago. Back then people were ashamed of these things and took care of the issue without a lot of publicity. Then the incident was covered up (for the good or bad of it) because they were ashamed something like that could happen in their family/community/country.

Now people are more interested in a book deal, an appearance on Springer, or the general publicity of being famous for something outrageous than anything else.

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I agree with PB and Av8r to some extent. We have had communications, good communications for some time. We only get it faster now. Yes there may have been a lot of things never recorded or published as today but I seriously believe we are not having more activity but mostly greater or higher levels of activity. The crimes are of more destruction and we are seeing more of what we use to overlook. The things we see on TV are at a lot of fault. It use to be TV shows use to mimic crimes or criminals, now you are seeing criminals doing what TV does. Sex is another thing on TV that I personally don't believe is good. JMO

murph

Kent State, anyone remember when students were fired upon?

The best decade of my lifetime 1950-1960. Three things existed that I don't see much of anymore. Respect, Courtesy and last and most important Accountability.

B_Skurka said:

Well if you look at the mass shootings at the college campuses as just one example, is this a case of people simply trying to be more evil than the next guy, leading to more and more evil in the world?

I don't think dictators of nations try to out-do each other in genocide, but on an individual level I wonder if we people are feeding off of the evil and elevating it to the next level with each new incident.

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There was the serial killer Ted Bundy, killed a bunch of coeds in the late 60's if I recall, then there was the Texas Tower shooter than killed dozens from a town Tower... don't remember his name or care to, but there was a lot of major killings that didn't get the type of news coverage that happens now. JFK, Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy...

"Bad" has always been around, but there is more "Copycat" stuff going on now due to the coverage that is given to it and the idiots that do it aren't smart enough to come up with something orginal.....

When I was younger I would hear couples say they didn't want kids because of the world they would be bringing a child in, and I thought they were hippies. Now I worry for my kids, and worry for their future. I just pray they have a long happy life, and not have to experience anything bad upclose.