It's better in every way. Racism, sexism, apartheid, LGBT, corporal punishment...

Exactly. Most of the people I hear that try to make the case that it was better, even a few decades ago, are usually white and/or male.

If you genuinely think these are the best markers for improvement in society, you must be an extremely lucky person. Having a job, having a job that doesn't completely suck, having enough money to move out of your parents house at the age of 30. These are things that people are facing today. In Australia, there are lots of people that are still living with their parents into their 30s because they simply can't afford rent or a mortgage.

Racism and sexism and other terms are used more for political purposes these days then they are for anything of worth. Why didn't you mention the discrimination people with autism face, for example? Autism simply isn't a useful political tool because it doesn't get enough votes. Yet people with autism face more discrimination then the types you have listed. It is politics and nothing more.

You are obviously a white male. You have no credibility when it comes to denying discrimination. You have never been in danger of being fired or lynched for some intrinsic characteristic.

> It may not be as good as it was 50 years ago

If you're a white male.

Who wasn't sent to kill or be killed in South East Asia against your will.

Women's self-reported happiness has dropped over the last 50 years [1], so possibly add "women" too.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26douthat.html

I don't know. There was a study done recently among the Amish, who in many ways live like it's 1900. It found that they we're as happy as billionaires.

I'm presuming that should read "that they were as...". My first interpretation was that you were Amish yourself.

yep.

With few exceptions, human life is better in 2016 than in 1966.