At 49 years of age I have lived through numerous changes in society and ideas. I have seen the computer revolution and the coming of the digital age. Communication has revolutionised our life and our thinking-the world is no-where as large,and a global consciousness is evolving.
People are far more affluent, and not just in the west. In the old third world fewer people (proportionally) live in poverty.
More people live freer lives since the end of the Cold War and liberalism in China has seen the yoke of totalitarianism lifted.
Medicine has advanced in bounds and would seem to be on the verge of even greater things.
Science continues to amaze-from space flight to the quark our understanding of, and application of principles learnt speeds along.
Freedom of belief and of action is at unprecedented levels- "lifestyle" has triumphed. Many of the old parameters of behavior are gone.
Mans ability to understand and control his environment grows daily. Our ability to see problems, including those we create,and pose and enact solutions has never been greater.
That most fundamental issue, energy production, is currently undergoing its own revolution. Renewables technologies are and will go ahead in leaps and bounds.
Of course apocalyptic visions remain current and we all suffer the results of bogus ethics systems, oldtime prejudices, the anxious and those with a scarcity of belief in their own species.
There is alot to be excited about in the future. Let's embrace it!

Here here....good to seem some optimism about the future. The way many contributors think is enough to make you stop trying and give up.

palimpsest, thanks - the points you make are worth remembering.

There is hope for the future. Sometimes it's all to easy to get caught up in defending our rears from the sniper action of those who want a return to the "good old days". The journey forward is not always smooth but I'd not willingly swap places with those from the past.

R0bert

alzo and RObert, thanks for your responses. It was starting to feel a bit lonely here.

yet another allegory of western whiteness..yawn..

palimpsest,

Thank you, a nice post (in the nicest sense of 'nice')

Rainier,

Knocker, yawn.