What's wrong with the world?

"At least 15 dead after Russian strike on shopping mall." (source)
Are we growing calloused towards news of brutal civilian killings?

Ten interconnected things that are wrong with America and the world:

1. Hunger worldwide. Global food insecurity and even famine are bad and growing worse for many reasons, especially because of war, also because of climate change and economic instability.
2. War in Ukraine. The struggle drags on, causing unimaginable suffering there. One international consequence is the threat to global food supplies because Ukraine is a major food producer, as is Russia, and agriculture and shipping capabilities there are disrupted, especially that of Ukraine.
3. More war coming. Russia is also threatening to confront or even to attack other countries on its borders, leading to more and more unstable situations and fears. Other European powers may be retreating from confrontation, emboldening the Russians. Other hot spots exist and may flare up.
4. Human Rights Violations. In he US, the now fully right-wing Supreme Court, drunk with power, has cancelled one established right (a woman's right to make her own health decisions) and threatens a whole list of other rights, especially for women and minorities, including religious, racial, and gender minorities. For a few years recently in the US people seemed to care about these rights, but a sense of futility is setting in, reducing the will to improve the situation. In many other countries, basic rights are also endangered. In some countries, human rights have never existed.
5. Guns. Possession of guns is out of control in the US and the situation is likely to get worse. Laws controlling guns are one of the Supreme Court's targets, and with one damaging decision already this session. Death at the hands of a crazy gun user is a constantly increasing risk for all citizens, especially children.
6. Unjust law enforcement. In the US, public trust in the police has deteriorated -- for good reasons. Police malpractice affects minority rights, gun control, and many other areas of civic life. Good policing exists at times, but the injustices of police actions are too frequent and too much targeted at minorities.
7. The economy in trouble. In the US, rising prices of essential products and services lead to insecurity in many families, Poverty, hunger, job losses, homelessness, and inequality are increasing. Worldwide, economic disruptions are also causing much suffering, and economic refugees are numerous. This is complicated. 
8. Threats to Democracy. In the US, voters seek irrational solutions to the country's economic insecurity and other real or imagined problems, thus increasing the danger of democracy's demise and the takeover by demagogues or worse. This is combined with the rampant disrespect for majority values by the Supreme Court. The Electoral College and the disproportionate representation of underpopulated states makes this even more of a threat. Gullible and vulnerable people don't make sensible voters, they cling to religion, guns, and republicans. Globally, in several other democratic or formerly democratic countries, democratic political systems have been undermined or even totally destroyed, replaced by repressive tyrants. Totalitarian governments, meanwhile seem to be increasingly powerful and unlikely to change.
9. Emerging Diseases and Pandemics. We aren't done with covid, and there may be other epidemics yet to come. 
10. Climate change: the biggest! Climate disruption is the root of many other problems throughout the world. Fires, crop failures, rivers tearing out of their banks, hurricanes, and other disasters are more and more clearly due to climate change. As the world warms measurably and undeniably there are many consequences. Flooding overwhelms some areas while others are destroyed by drought. Previously hospitable areas have become uninhabitable. Global warming might mean that some of the other things on the list won't look so bad.

Sometimes the thought of all that's wrong makes me feel really depressed and hopeless. Will the world really become worse and worse as this century progresses? I'll try to keep these thoughts away from my blog, and try to be more upbeat. 

Blog post by mae sander for mae food dot blog spot dot com. © 2022.