According to an article by Adam Taylor in The Washington Post, there is an historic rise in global conflict deaths, suggesting a violent new era.
"More than 238,000 people died in global conflict last year, according to a new study released Tuesday, marking a massive 96 percent increase year over year in deaths related to conflicts. The startling figure, found in the Institute for Economics and Peace’s annual Global Peace Index, reflects, in particular, the impact of two highly deadly wars: in Ethiopia and Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in at least 82,000 deaths in 2022, the study estimated. But even more deaths were reported in Ethiopia — over 104,000 — in that conflict between the national government and regional forces in Tigray.
That latter figure, the study stated, was the worst single year for conflict deaths in one country since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The report also found that there had been startling increases in conflict deaths in a variety of countries, including Mali and Myanmar."...
But Wait! Wars and conflicts are just one number.
According to a story by Destinee Adams for NPR:
"Six months into the year, more than 21,000 people have died because of gun-related injuries in the United States.
Doctors and public health officials have a word to describe the rising number of people killed or hurt by guns in recent years: epidemic.
"I would certainly consider the problem of firearm injuries and firearm violence as an epidemic in the United States," said Patrick Carter, director of the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, whose research is partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"When we think about what the term epidemic means, it means a sudden increase in the numbers, or incidents, of an event over what would be considered a baseline level," Carter told Morning Edition.
Since the mid-2000s, the United States has seen year-after-year increases in the number of deaths and injuries from guns "that would mirror what we would consider to be a sudden increase consistent with an epidemic," Carter said."...
The NCDAS-National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics:
• Over 96,700 people die from drug overdoses in a year.
• Opioids are a factor in 7 out of every 10 overdose deaths.
• Drug overdoses have killed almost a million people since 1999.
More than four (4) times as many people died from drug overdose (OD) than from homicide in the first month of 2021.
In January 2021, drug overdose deaths exceeded homicides by 306.7%.
The CDC-Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
The suicide rate among males in 2021 was approximately four times higher than the rate among females. Males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.
Firearms are the most common method used in suicides. Firearms are used in more than 50% of suicides.
According to the United States Department of Transportation:
Newly Released Estimates Show Traffic Fatalities Reached a 16-Year High.
The traffic fatalities in the following categories increased from 2020 to 2021:
• Fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes up 16%
• Fatalities on urban roads up 16%
• Fatalities among drivers 65 and older up 14%
• Pedestrian fatalities up 13%
• Fatalities in crashes involving at least one large truck up 13%
• Daytime fatalities up 11%
• Motorcyclist fatalities up 9%
• Bicyclist fatalities up 5%
•Fatalities in speeding-related crashes up 5%
• Fatalities in police-reported, alcohol-involvement crashes up 5%
The 2022 World Watch List (WWL) released by Open Doors International shows that persecution against Christians continues to rise especially in Asian and African countries and that the COVID 19 pandemic has further exacerbated discrimination.
Overall, 5,898 Christians were killed (up 23,8 % versus 2020.
Okay, so what’s up?
I point to two factors in increases over the past decades.
• Climate change
No doubt that recent and increasing conditions of climate change have caused a massive increase in global migration.
Crop production is in a flux forcing entire populations moves, caused by food and water shortages.
In response, nationalism has kicked in with nations demanding tougher borders to maintain what they believe is the sanctity of their imagined pure society.
Imagine a boat loaded with well over 500-700 migrants, families trying to survive drastic moves. The boat capsizes with an undetermined number of deaths, put officials believe about 500 were lost.
We should be totally shocked by such a number, but in reality:
At least 853 migrants died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in past 12 months — a record high, according to a story by CBS News.
After risking their lives on dangerous journeys, more than 50,000 migrants are known to have died worldwide since 2014, the UN migration agency, IOM, said.
Oh, and the second rise in deaths is a bit more controversial:
• The internet
Think about it. It brings immediate access to just about everything. Our demand to know NOW, express opinions, find options and explore hate related avenues has rushed civilization into a new and confusing life style.
Teen suicides have increased thanks to devastating connections. Our lives have become more rushed, more exposed and brought a whole new level of thought and provocation to the surface. The possibility of controlling, directing, molding opinion has become a reality, especially in those prone to follow blindly.
