Bombings, beheadings? Stats show a peaceful world

“The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species.”

And it runs counter to what the mass media is reporting and essentially what we feel in our guts.

It is especially true here on ATS that we all feel the impending doom headed our way, the increasing violence and riots and craziness all around us. But as is pointed out in this article, the facts don't align and all of our "feelings of impending doom" are perpetrated on us by the media. Even media, dare I say, such as ATS.

The number of people killed in battle – calculated per 100,000 population – has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th-century France, it was 70. In the 20th century with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.

The rate of genocide deaths per world population was 1,400 times higher in 1942 than in 2008.

There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.

Murder in European countries has steadily fallen from near 100 per 100,000 people in the 14th and 15th centuries to about 1 per 100,000 people now.

Murder within families. The U.S. rate of husbands being killed by their wives has dropped from 1.2 per 100,000 in 1976 to just 0.2. For wives killed by their husbands, the rate has slipped from 1.4 to 0.8 over the same time period.

Rape in the United States is down 80 percent since 1973. Lynchings, which used to occur at a rate of 150 a year, have disappeared.

Discrimination against blacks and gays is down, as is capital punishment, the spanking of children, and child abuse.

The “Human Security Report 2009/2010,” a project led by Mack and funded by several governments, is a worldwide examination of war and violence and has been published as a book. It cites jarringly low numbers. While the number of wars has increased by 25 percent, they’ve been minor ones.

The terrorist attacks we see today, such as the massacre in Norway and, even, the 9/11 attacks are small potatoes in terms of death counts. It is just that today the media is all over such events and we see them in all their gruesome detail on T.V. on websites in pictures and videos and in high definition.

Of course we see violence as being on the rise. We all see it everyday in our own homes. Not by ourselves or our families necessarily but through the constant stream of media influence coming in to us.

But the numbers don't add up! Have faith that the world is not as terrible as things may seem.

Sorry if this has dampened the doom.

Source here

reply to post by kalunom


It just shows how insidious the media are.
Not that they shouldn't show certain things - valid stories, NOT violence and gore for their own sake.
On the contrary.
But it's because they show them that they create the impression that there is little more than violence and misery in the world.

However, there is a morbid side in many people (MANY, not all people), a "body of pain", that just craves blood and gore, because that's how it feeds.
No wonder only more blood, gore and pain come out of it.

Oh and this "body of pain" is a prime target for manipulators, BTW.
Nothing good can ever come out of it.

reply to post by kalunom


I can hear it in the MSM boardrooms now,

"No! You can't Doom my Doom!"

*whimpers*

"I'll have nothing left."

But when the American empire collapse that's when the problem begins. So better hope the collapse isn't so hard

What about the fact that we are 6 billion more than 2000 years ago?

Wouldn't it dilute the numbers? I can't find a place where they say it was taken into account...?

some odd comparisons there, like comparing murder rates now with the 15th century??!!!

How Tv ruined your life. This is a satirical look at how the media has used the element of fear to control the way in which we believe.



We are hard wired to react to fear and the media knows how to play on it.

reply to post by kalunom


These figures do tell a story that we are getting more humane and civilized as a world.

I think in a democracy our worst enemy is complacency. We must keep the pressure on and have high standards of our leaders and legislators.

The world is full of good people who want a peaceful and fair existence.

How about a comparison of muder rates in the 1950s with murder rates now- and keep in mind with modern medicine and technological advances, we have a much greater chance of preventing severe assaults turning into murders now

Originally posted by blueorder
How about a comparison of muder rates in the 1950s with murder rates now- and keep in mind with modern medicine and technological advances, we have a much greater chance of preventing severe assaults turning into murders now

The only thing that has really changed in the last fifty or sixty years is, again.... the media. Their presence and scope of influence.
Whoever denies its influence is blind or is lying, either out of ignorance or for profit.

Originally posted by AdAstra

Originally posted by blueorder
How about a comparison of muder rates in the 1950s with murder rates now- and keep in mind with modern medicine and technological advances, we have a much greater chance of preventing severe assaults turning into murders now

The only thing that has really changed in the last fifty or sixty years is, again.... the media. Their presence and scope of influence.
Whoever denies its influence is blind or is lying, either out of ignorance or for profit.

I'm sorry but it is not the only thing that has really changed in the last 50/60 years, there has been huge cultural and social changes too.

Now back to my point, take the UK, dig out crime stats from the 50s and compare with now, and tell me that is an improvement,,,,,,,,,,,

VERY WELL SAID FRIEND!
we need to stop spending billions when small incidents happen.
we need to stop "going to war" with un defined targets / or with pre planned media agendas to go with the true
objective goal - ofc these do not match.
bail out the americans for once

Mean world syndrome

"Mean World Syndrome" is a term coined by George Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is.

en.wikipedia.org...



Interesting topic

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Making the world seem more violent than it really is, yes, an interesting topic.

It's a great way to sell weapons, vaccines, security systems, and AND a great way to sell ideas to people such as, "it's ok to give up some personal liberties in the name of personal security and defense of country".

Since it is good news day, lets throw in another one.
World poverty is decreasing.



So not only are there less wars, the wars that do exist are less deadly, the number of dictatorships are decreasing, huge numbers of people are being dragged out of poverty, life expectancy is at an all time high, worldwide travel is cheaper than at any time in history... etc...
there in fact has never been a better time to be alive on this planet.

And no, earthquakes are NOT increasing, neither are volcanos, the sun isnt exploding, and comet Elenin wasnt a huge deathstar brown dwarf Nibiru doomsday machine.

So SMILE!!!

Originally posted by blueorder
Now back to my point, take the UK, dig out crime stats from the 50s and compare with now, and tell me that is an improvement,,,,,,,,,,,

In fact, lets grab a whole bunch of UK stats from this site...
violentdeathproject



Historically speaking, things arent so bad after all.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by blueorder
Now back to my point, take the UK, dig out crime stats from the 50s and compare with now, and tell me that is an improvement,,,,,,,,,,,

In fact, lets grab a whole bunch of UK stats from this site...
violentdeathproject

Historically speaking, things arent so bad after all.

well I can tell you that crime has increased massively since the 1950s if you want to know, maybe you don't

reply to post by alfa1


It's amazing all the good news one can find if one looks for it.

How is it that we all have such a lop-sided/backwards view of things being so terrible and getting out of control?

Originally posted by kalunom
reply to post by alfa1

 

How is it that we all have such a lop-sided/backwards view of things being so terrible and getting out of control?

We don't ALL have it. Like I said in my first post here, there is a "body of pain" in many people - many, but not all - that feeds on it and feeds it in return.

BTW, well done, Alfa!

Originally posted by AdAstra

Originally posted by kalunom
reply to post by alfa1

 

How is it that we all have such a lop-sided/backwards view of things being so terrible and getting out of control?

We don't ALL have it. Like I said in my first post here, there is a "body of pain" in many people - many, but not all - that feeds on it and feeds it in return.

BTW, well done, Alfa!

"A body of pain...that feeds on it." That's an excellent observation and I think it important that we each try to identify in ourselves this "body of pain" and regulate it's diet of junk food.