Meanwhile, most of the careers that were previously available for those without college degrees have largely disappeared from the manufacturing sector and the types of jobs that were once available to high school graduates are now in sort supply even for college graduates entering the workforce. The nation is threatened by oil shortages and perpetual reliance on foreign oil and one of the most promising options for clean energy is now substantially in doubt after the nuclear disaster in Japan last month. Finally, global climate change is threatening the ecosystem including wildlife and essential food chains upon which we rely.
Putting Things into Perspective
Considered in the short-term, it may seem that there is good reason for pessimism; however, from the longer-term perspective, things might not be quite that bad. Looking back at the generation that lived through the Great Depression and then the Second World...
However, the nation and the world eventually rebounded and many new societies prospered. Likewise, it is likely that both the domestic and the international problems that might generate pessimism today will eventually be resolved in the long-term. In principle, they are no worse than similar challenges and problems encountered by previous generations. In fact, if one were suddenly transported back in time to virtually any other era in human history, one would instantly appreciate that even the most serious problems and hardships that we face today are inconsequential by comparison. Eventually, I would also expect that the increasing globalization and the apparent growth of democratic impulses now evident in other parts of the world will result in a much more harmonious global community with far less international tension and conflict.
