http://edge.org/conversation/mc2011-history-violence-pinker
The women’s rights movement has seen an 80 percent reduction in rape since the early ’70s when it was put on the agenda as a feminist issue. There has also been a two-thirds decline in domestic violence, spousal abuse, or wife beating, and a 50 percent decline in husband beating. In the most extreme form of domestic violence, namely uxoricide and matricide, there’s been a decline both in the number of wives that are murdered by their husband’s and the number of husbands that have been murdered by their wives. In fact, the decrease is much more dramatic for husbands. Feminism has been very good to men, who are now much more likely to survive a marriage without getting murdered by their wives.
Wow. My paradigm about the world going to hell in a handbasket is shifting.
mOm it’s more subtle than that. Each piece of progress meant that we took more out of the environment than each other. The handbasket continues to enlarge and gain velocity; it is just more general and less particular.
You’re right, of course. I am searching for the good news, and overemphasizing its relevance when I find it. Still, maybe a SMALL paradigm shift?