[aruanan]

See THIS and the following chapter for the details to show that the relatively better conditions of the 19th and 20th century West are but a bump in the road of what has been the world standard from time immemorial. Look at other chapters about pre-WWII Germany and Austria. You don't have to subscribe to the guy's theories to appreciate the historical and anthropological details.

[Paladin2]

It apparently takes a village......

[Paladin2]

The third link reminds one of Islam.

[doberville]

Wow. BLEAK. Rough childhood!

[Strk321]

Jesus said that “Many will come in my name, but only a few will attain Heaven.”

Translated, the great bulk of humanity has either been scum or ok, but not exceptional people. True saints are not very easy to come by.

You have a good point that the Western world in the second half of the 20th century was a unique time that we may never see again. For most of history, people have lived under grinding poverty and repression.

Go to an African country or something like that. They’re closer to the norm of human existence (ie. short, nasty, brutish lives marked by war, disease, and famine) than the United States of >1945.