Good News!

Nick Kristof’s column in yesterday’s Times was a breath of fresh air – and worth noting.  Titled “Why 2017 Was the Best Year in History,” it is an antidote to the resignation and cynicism so many of us feel these days.

He pointed out that “A smaller share of the world’s people were hungry, impoverished or illiterate than at any time before.  A smaller proportion of children died than ever before.  The proportion disfigured by leprosy, blinded by diseases like trachoma or suffering from other ailments also fell.”

Specifically, every day the number of people living in extreme poverty (less than $2 a day) goes down by 217,000.  Every day, 325,000 people gain access to electricity.  And every day 300,000 more have clean drinking water.  Since 1990, “the lives of more than 100 million children have been saved by vaccinations, diarrhea treatment, breast-feeding promotion and other simple steps.”

These are extraordinary positive accomplishments that get lost in the gloom and doom of our 24/7 news cycles.  It is worth remembering that in a large global context all is not going to hell in a handbasket.  I will be reminding myself to remember more often.