Eugen wrote:
> > many like to point out, we are not only headed towards a technological
> > Singularity, but an ethical and peaceful Singularity as well.
> Hopefully, you're right, but I'm certainly missing the evidence.
This is from Freedom House (http://www.freedomhouse.org/reports/century.html):
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The last century saw a significant expansion of democratically elected governments and a dramatic expansion in the number of sovereign states. In 1900, there were *no* states that could be judged as electoral democracies by the standard of universal suffrage for competitive multiparty elections. TheU.S., Britain, and a handful of other countries possessed the most democratic systems, but their denial of voting rights to women, and in the case ofthe U.S. to black Americans, meant that they were countries with restricted democratic practices. The states with restricted democratic practices were 25 in number and accounted for just 12.4 percent of the world population.In 1900 monarchies and empires predominated.
By 1950, the defeat of Nazi totalitarianism, the post-war momentum toward de-colonization, and the post-war reconstruction of Europe and Japan resulted in an increase in the number of democratic states. At mid-century, there were 22 democracies accounting for 31 percent of the world population and afurther 21 states with restricted democratic practices, accounting for 11.9 percent of the globe’s population.
At the dawn of the 21st century, liberal and electoral democracies clearly predominate and have expanded significantly in the Third Wave, which has brought democracy to much of the post-Communist world and to Latin America and parts of Asia and Africa. Electoral democracies now represent 120 of the 192 existing countries and constitute 62.5 percent of the world’s population.
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And from me:
Even a casual review of history will reveal that far more people than ever before (both in raw numbers and as a percentage of the whole) are living infreedom, receiving an education, enjoying adequate healthcare and nutrition, and generally experiencing the makings of happiness. Does anyone really believe that previous generations would not gladly trade their ways of lifefor ours? The past was crammed full of ignorance and drudgery, filth, superstition, disease and brutality. So what has changed? Is it us, human nature? Or are we just lucky to live when we do, a product of our times? Either way, it is clear that the trends are all moving in the same direction.
The record of progress made by the human species with the help of science, technology, and reason (applied through education, business, and government) is clear and unassailable. There is much of which we can be proud, including a centuries-long trend toward increased freedom and democracy, amazing advancements in health care and longevity, and far higher standards of living for most of the world's people. Our powers have multiplied beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors, and yet, for the most part, we have applied those powers in beneficence, not maliciousness. The experience of humankindhas shown that as a species we yearn for liberty, justice, tolerance, and mercy, and—given the opportunity—we will have them and grant them to others. Certainly there are exceptions on a local scale, and perhaps there always will be, but a long look gives me great reason for optimism.
Not only are we headed toward a technological singularity, but also toward a healthy lifespan singularity, a free democratic singularity, and an economic and cultural singularity. It's a great time to be living!
See you in the future!
Mike Treder, Incipient Posthuman
http://www.incipientposthuman.com/
Received on Wed Oct 16 17:48:10 2002
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