But it’s a truism that humanity has steadily improved

I am not sure that I believe this to be true. I don’t believe that an urban society dominated by consumerism is better than a rural society dominated by subsistence. I think we were better off as clans than countries. I believe that continued growth in both population and consumption makes the world a worse place. The advent of AI along with more automation might just be the end of real humanity.

I think we have created as many new diseases as we have cured. Physical health and longer lives are no compensation for mental illness. Has humanity improved if it is causing mass extinction of the other life on the planet.

I might be the ultimate conservative, I don’t think that Capitalism was a real improvement over Feudalism. I think conservatives should support conservation not just of the Status Quo but of the resources of the Planet.

I am not sure today that our art, culture, music etc. are really that much better than singing and dancing around a camp fire and painting on the walls of caves.

Are we really happier and sad less often.

TEK