I think
this is the thread you were meaning to post in.
I just read a history of the English Civil War. During that time, things were exactly as you say - Rape Rape Rape, Death Death Death, Lies Lies Lies. Soldiers on both sides attacked the civilians they were supposed to be defending, criminals roamed free, innocent people will killed for trying to stay neutral, farmers had their crops confiscated to feed both armies and thus the rest of the population went hungry, disease ran rampant, countless historical records and priceless works of art were destroyed... And yet modern Britain is one of the most peaceful and safe countries in the world. Why?
Because the war ended. Eventually, one side won, and after things calmed down, people looked at the destruction around them and remembered the cost of that conflict. Then they and their children worked together to keep it from happening again.
There have been other wars since them. Some have been even bloodier and more destructive. But things
have gotten better.
The codification of human rights.
The 1914 Christmas Truce, where German and British soldiers stopped shooting and gathered in no-man's-land to exchange gifts and play a game of football.
The huge strides in improving social justice made by Ghandi, Mother Theresa, MLK Jr and others using non-violent methods.
(There's more to this list, but right now I have to go to work.)
I do not wish to minimize the suffering that is going on in the world right now. But focusing on the bad doesn't make us more likely to fix it, it makes us get jaded and give up. If, for all the effort we have made, things get worse anyway, why should we even try to do good?
That's why I created this thread. If there is no light, no one will get through the tunnel.
Oh, and hi, Jeff! :tongue: