2 edits
Originally posted by robbie carrobieFINANCE as a whole was never that prevalent as it is now, in any epoch of history, so your challenge is pointless.
Strawman argument and a logical fallacy. I am merely pointing out the magnitude of the fraud. If you have statistics for any other epoch in history where financial fraud was as prevalent then please produce it.
Pick any other indicator. Life expectancy is a good one, universally accepted as an indicator of quality of life and progress.
See the gapminder.org website on how this has changed per country.
Originally posted by josephwSo education is improving relative to the U.S. in "the rest of the world every year", is that your point? If it is, surely improving education around the world is progress we should welcome ~ and not an indicator that supports the world-is-going-from-bad-to-worse hypothesis?
Education is a big one. I'm always hearing about how American children are falling further behind the rest of the world every year in SAT scores, especially in math.
Originally posted by CalJustNonsense the Romans had an immense finacial system as did the Victorians. Now if you have any evidence then please produce it otherwise your assertion is meaningless.
FINANCE as a whole was never that prevalent as it is now, in any epoch of history, so your challenge is pointless.
Pick any other indicator. Life expectancy is a good one, universally accepted as an indicator of quality of life and progress.
See the gapminder.org website on how this has changed per country.
1 edit
Originally posted by FMFThe education system is based on a Greek model 3000 years old. How has it improved since then? How many teachers were stabbed back then? How many classrooms disrupted by maniacs with swords?
So education is improving relative to the U.S. in "the rest of the world every year", is that your point? If it is, surely improving education around the world is progress we should welcome ~ and not an indicator that supports the world-is-going-from-bad-to-worse hypothesis?
Originally posted by robbie carrobieThe literacy rate is currently at its highest in history and the illiteracy rate is at its lowest. These are more important indicators ~ affecting the lives of literally billions of people in positive ways ~ while 'teachers being stabbed' and 'classrooms disrupted by maniacs' affect an incredibly miniscule proportion of the world's population.
The education system is based on a Greek model 3000 years old how has it improved since then? How many teachers were stabbed back then? How many classrooms disrupted by maniacs with guns?
Originally posted by robbie carrobieSays the man who walked out of the cinema during the screening of 'Braveheart' because it was too violent.
Id like to live in Scotland 1314, where i could be present on the field of Bannockburn to witness that glorious day of freedom, whence Edward II was sent hame and where the biggest concentration of Englishman in Scotland is to be found, all six feet under the earth! 😛
4 edits
To the 'things are getting worse' crowd.
I mentioned this last time I saw this type of discussion, and was basically ignored, so I will repeat myself.
What is the worst thing you can think of happening in your life?
It won't be everyone's choice, but the death of your own child in infancy would top many parent's list, I suspect. It would mine and my wife's.
Have a look here:
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT/countries/1W?display=default
I sorted the table to compare the Under 5 mortality rate from 1980 to 2012. There were 200 countries for which data exists.
How many showed a decline in the mortality rate?
200. Every single one, without exception.
What was the average decline?
More than 60%. Listen to that again. 60%. In just a few decades.
This is staggering progress, which is being repeated in every country in the world. Millions of children surviving who would have died, and parents not having to live with the trauma of losing a child.
17,000 children less are dying per day than in 1990 (Source: WHO). Every single day. Six million less per year.
Which I think is a bit more important than a few bankers playing silly buggers with LIBOR.
And these are facts, not just your impression based on what you read in the papers, or what your Bible tells you that you are supposed to think.
- Joined
- 16 Jan 07
- Moves
- 95105
Originally posted by robbie carrobieright, so what are you juxtaposing your evidence against?
Yes for my claim but not for yours. No evidence? no dice. Neeeeext!
all you are proving is that corruption exists. this does not prove that there is more corruption. come on robbie, you are making this too easy.
Originally posted by Rank outsiderYou-know-who will be along in a moment, perhaps, to reprimand you for trying to make the debate personal.
What is the worst thing you can think of happening in your life?
It won't be everyone's choice, but the death of your own child in infancy would top many parent's list, I suspect. It would mine and my wife's.
1 edit
Originally posted by robbie carrobieThe evidence I have I have now produced at least twice: it is on the gapminder.org website, and in the Hans Gosling talk on TED which I referred to.
Nonsense the Romans had an immense finacial system as did the Victorians. Now if you have any evidence then please produce it otherwise your assertion is meaningless.
Granted, it does not go back to Victorian or Roman times, but it shows clearly how the world has improved during the past 200 years - and isn't it your point that during relatively RECENT times the world has gone "from bad to worse"?
Edit: Thank you to Rank Outsider, I missed your post while writing this. Those are the exact same statistics quoted by Hans Gosling in the TED talk.
IMHO: Case closed...
- Joined
- 16 Jan 07
- Moves
- 95105
Originally posted by robbie carrobieare you trying to say there were no stabbings and maniacs with swords...........................in ancient greece!!!!! haha!!! brilliant, you should do stand-up.
The education system is based on a Greek model 3000 years old. How has it improved since then? How many teachers were stabbed back then? How many classrooms disrupted by maniacs with swords?
Originally posted by Rank outsiderOh, and had we continued with the Bible's top-notch medical advice on how to treat 'leprous' conditions, I dare say we wouldn't have made the progress we have.
[b]To the 'things are getting worse' crowd.
I mentioned this last time I saw this type of discussion, and was basically ignored, so I will repeat myself.
What is the worst thing you can think of happening in your life?
It won't be everyone's choice, but the death of your own child in infancy would top many parent's list, I suspect. It wou ...[text shortened]... sed on what you read in the papers, or what your Bible tells you that you are supposed to think.[/b]