General News 15-20 years ago?

Thank you. I feel like most people who think ISIS is capable of starting a World War have very little understanding of how the first 2 started.

 

9/11 made people feel less safe, that there's an outsized threat of terrorist activity from Islamic fundamentalists.

We then ignore our own, homegrown attacks from our own fundamentalist and extremist corners, especially from right wing terrorist groups.

I find the number of Americans who are so scared of Muslims that they would deny entry to innocent refugees because they pose some small risk while ignoring the risk posed by both our own violent citizens and the other relative dangers to be both ridiculous and cowards of the first order. I'm much more likely to be shot by a right wing nutjob open carry dipshit than by ISIS.

 

Well I was 3-7 back then so the world seemed just dandy. But I doubt much has changed. Humans have always had violent conflicts for thousands of years. I think increased media availability makes people think its more common, but I'm not sure it really is.

 

The world isn't worse now than it was then, its better. We have the good fortune to live in a time period of massive change. These changes result in some chaos and uncertainty. There are opportunists who are taking advantage but as long as they are stood up to they won't last.
The media is to blame for this perception that the world is worse, negative stories attract more eyeballs which lets them sell ad space. So, we get negative stories which eventually bends our view of the world.

 

This site might give you hope that things are getting better. ( it's even backed up by data)
Blog | HumanProgress.org

 

I think the world has always been messed up, and the biggest change is definitely our awareness of it. Media sensationalism, and the fact that we are so much more connected to things than we were decades ago. Growing up I never thought much about riding my bike miles to a friend's house, whereas now I hate my kids being out of my sight. I think the only real difference in things is just how we have access to so much more information now. The world all seems a lot smaller because of it.