They argue that it says more about us than it does about how things really are – illustrating a certain tendency toward collective self-flagellation, and an unwillingness to believe in the power of human ingenuity. Really good news, on the other hand, can be a lot harder to spot – partly because it tends to occur gradually. “On average, people throughout the world have been living longer and eating better than ever before. The New Optimists promise something different: a way to feel about the state of the world based on the way it really is. This is a perfectly legitimate political argument to make – but it’s still a political argument, not a straightforward, neutral reliance on objective facts.

Source: The Guardian July 28, 2017 04:52 UTC