Especially since the turn of the century, there have been some remarkable changes, which have indeed impacted lives in a positive way and propelled everybody into a state of advancement. Technological advancement mainly with sophisticated satellite development and the explosion of the internet have provided a way to make everyone all the more connected.

Emphasis on education has been a driving force to get youths out of the slums and on the path to a better life. Much has been done also to bring about awareness of injustices worldwide and with unprecedented funding, a concerted effort has been made to control the spread of fatal diseases.

Despite many landmark accomplishments however, when one takes into consideration the effects of global warming, the threat of new and re-emerging infectious diseases, the casualties of recent wars and the high rate of recidivism worldwide, for the next generation it would seem as if things are in fact getting worse.

Televisions and computers have come a long way and are now creature comforts which some people cannot live without. Everyone seems to be entertained 24/7, and in the absence of television shows and computer internet chat rooms, message boards, blogs, cell phones and MP3s, the social skills are fast declining and questionable at best.

New crimes such as cyber stalking is a result of this new computer age wherein such behavior can even allow the cyber stalker to trace the victim’s IP address in an attempt to verify where they live or work. Internet pornography has also emerged as well as the much feared identity theft crisis. Internet privacy or the lack thereof has become a topic of constant debate and case law on privacy for computers at work is still an ongoing issue.

As technology booms, there are many factors needed to be considered and to decide a course of action as in the case of the spread of diseases. Infectious diseases continue to be a leading cause of death worldwide. According to a press release published by the World Health Organization in 1996, at least 30 new diseases had emerged in the last 20 years. Though this fact is an eye opener, even more shocking is the fact that for many of these diseases there is no treatment, cure or vaccine.

In 1995, of the 52 million people stated to have died from all causes, 17 million of them died from infectious diseases. AIDS, for one has killed more than 25 million people since 1981 when it was first discovered. Despite the fact that many people all over the world now have access to the anti-retroviral treatment for AIDS, the UNAIDS and WHO estimate that the total number of people living with HIV is over 40 million and this number does continue to rise, with Sub-Saharan Africa being by far the worst-affected region.

As if this isn’t bad enough, one is also plagued with the fact that the threat from emerging diseases of late did not end with SARS as evident with the avian influenza. One of the reasons why diseases will continue to spread is because of the rapid increase in international air travel and the growing traffic in trade, particularly food trade. This means that disease-producing organisms can be transported within hours from one continent to another.

One would be compelled to believe that history should teach lessons about the past. Yes, everyone should learn from past experiences in order to secure a better future, right? Wrong! This does not seem to be the case. A reported nine million soldiers died and millions of civilians lost their lives in World War I which took place in Europe between 1914 and 1918 as a result of global military conflict.

A greater number of casualties are the over sixty million people who died in World War II, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. So far, this was the first and only time nuclear weapons were used in combat. The result of World War II was the United States and Soviet Union emerging as the world’s two leading super powers.

It is yet to be seen what the outcome of this current war in Iraq will be. Until then everyone will be forced to deal with the escalating death rates, while anticipating an end. The current war in Iraq by its sheer execution alone leaves one to wonder if in an age when everyone should be better educated in international politics for one, couldn’t peaceful negotiations be practiced and better tact in foreign policy exercised.

Not only are there wars and rumors of wars but everybody now lives in a world where terrorism is a real threat. Homeland Security has made travel, let alone international air travel a living nightmare in its effort at improving border security. This need has only created more jobs at airports and borders if nothing else.

The justice system has had steady positive growth, and a lot of money has been spent to improve prison conditions, allowing prisoners to be educated while incarcerated, getting three square meals a day and the opportunity to get physically fit.

For third world countries, things are not as great, but for North America and Great Britain, prisons have undergone dramatic changes and inmates enjoy some of the same comforts as any body else does, such as satellite television, for example. Yet despite all this progress in an effort to rehabilitate offenders, this futile attempt now seems theoretical rather than practical, because prisons have proven to be a revolving door for offenders and a breeding ground for misfits.

In 1983 the Bureau of Justice Statistics published an analysis of the criminal records of more than 16,000 men and women released from prisons in 44 states. Of this amount, 47 percent were convicted of a new crime and 41 percent sent back to prison or jail. In 1994, almost ten years later, a similar analysis revealed that on average, more than 75 percent of prisoners were rearrested within three years of release for crimes such as robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, possession and selling stolen property, possessing, using and selling illegal weapons. With such a high increase in this rate of recidivism over a ten year period, the attempts at rehabilitation need to be revised with some urgency if they are to move forward.

It is no wonder why so many juveniles commit bigger crimes when they get older. Children are basically raising themselves because parents have to work to provide the luxuries everybody enjoys. The parents stick them in front of a television and give them freedom to keep themselves entertained with everything but time and attention, and then when they become drug users and alcoholics everybody is shocked.

Children of this generation are unsupervised and because their activities are not monitored, they are liable to commit crimes. A child of any age should not be in their basement or bedroom learning and practicing the use of harmful and hazardous materials, for example, and parents not even aware of this. If this is happening now, what can be expected of the next generation?

Some mind-blowing news too, is that space travel is scheduled to start as early as 2008, according to the Associated Press (AP) London, and is expected to cost about US$200,000.00 initially. It was announced by a major airline also that their frequent flyer miles will extend beyond this planet. Not that civilization should not advance, certainly its already been done.

There seems to be no boundaries in sight though, and if one can carry diseases from one continent to another so easily, well, you can only imagine the problems that will be faced. With the high cost associated with space travel, it raises the question also of why man is not able to get their priorities straight. Not only is genocide still occurring in Darfur, the food crisis in Somalia is also far from over.

If it won’t take money to end these injustices, it will take power, and it is arguable if they are one and the same. Movie stars and rock stars have been using their celebrity to make a difference and have become the new age Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. Though it is admirable to see the examples of these two great humanitarians emulated, the media creates such hype over their actions that it leads one to wonder if their motives are questionable. What about people starving here in America? Certainly you know of someone who is hungry or in need. Also, if man should effect change then it has to start from within.

So, though many things may be better when looked at from an advancement point of view, if one loses their values and forgets their manners, you may as well be back in caves, in sparsely inhabited continents, rubbing sticks for fire and riding donkeys.