Considering the entire arc of human history, when in time, where in place, and with what characteristics could one have been born that resulted in the best human life possible?
Of course, I do not know the future, so it is conceivable that the best time will be in the future: But I doubt it.
I do, however, contend that having been born a white male, in the midwest, in middle-class America, in 1958 is about as correct an answer as one could give. And that describes me. In other words, I contend that I won the most significant lottery of all time.
Consider:
- No major wars in my lifetime have threatened me in any way.
- By the time I came of age, the Vietnam war was over.
- I was in one of two year groups that did not even have to register for the draft, much less be drafted.
- During my lifetime, we have experienced unparalleled prosperity
- I haven't faced racial or sexual discrimination, and of course, have benefited from the discriminations that others have directed toward people not like me
- Was I gay, I would have gained the freedom to marry the person I loved
- We have unprecedented medical care that (although expensive in this country) has extended our lives and made the quality of our lives demonstrably better
And yes, throughout my lifetime, women in this country could choose, which has also benefited me.
And:
- The environment has been liveable
- Oil has remained plentiful, easing my life considerably
- Food has been cheap and plentiful, making me fat
- Many things have been created that have made my life easier, more enjoyable, less stressful, … BETTER!
I have lived through the Golden Age of the Golden Age in the wealthiest, most powerful nation the world has ever known.
Alas, I am quite sure that it is ALL coming to an end.
My children are not going to see the kind of prosperity my generation has enjoyed. They are destined to live in a world perpetually short of energy, food, and clean water. They will have to deal with the consequence of the global warming that my generation's prosperity created. The dislocation of billions of people due to rising oceans and climate change is likely to lead to more horrible wars than the last century's World Wars.
Call me a pessimist, but such is the state of my disturbed and depressed soul.