President Barack Obama, speaking in Germany on April 25, said we’re fortunate to be living in the “most peaceful” era in human history.
“We are fortunate to be living in the most peaceful, most prosperous, most progressive era in human history,” Obama said. “That may surprise young people who are watching TV or looking at your phones,” he said, “and it seems like only bad news comes through every day, but consider it’s been decades since the last war between major powers.”
Obama also said that there are “dangerous forces” that threaten to take the world backward and that we must not become complacent. Then he announced he was sending 250 more American Special Forces to Syria to train local forces to drive the Islamic State back.
Then Obama spoke about prosperity. “More people live in democracies, where they live wealthier and healthier and better educated with a global economy that has lifted up more than a billion people from extreme poverty and created new middle classes from the Americas to Africa to Asia.”
Obama also said that tens of millions of people are saved from disease and infant mortality and people are living longer lives.
“Around the world we’re more tolerant, with more opportunity for women and gays and lesbians as we push back on bigotry and prejudice,” he said.
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
1 Thessalonians 5:3