Reddit Writing Prompt #5

Writing from the future, explain why the social norms of our time are barbaric and backwards.

As responsible human beings of the 22nd century, I firmly believe that it is our moral duty to acknowledge and understand the atrocities and horrors of our past. In so doing, we can learn from our mistakes and allow progress to take place. The past century was mired in conflict and suffering, with a large portion of it being concentrated in the beginning of the century. In order to understand the mistakes made by 21st century humanity, it is helpful to start at the beginning.
Humanity emerged into the 21st century amidst a nearly-ubiquitous sense of fear and uncertainty. Many people thought the world as we know it would end when the clock struck midnight on December 31, 1999. Of course, these people were ultimately proven incorrect. The uncertainty surrounding the arrival of a new century did not pass immediately, and the first decade of the 21st century was scarred with human rights abuses, political corruption, and massive economic instability.

By the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, these problems reached a level of unprecedented criticality. Economic inequality, reckless use of natural resources, and extreme political corruption created an environment of social decay. Distrust and xenophobia were rampant in so-called "first-world" nations. Diseases such as cancer and diabetes resulted from ignoring scientifically proven nutritional information. The increasing populations put a strain on economic and environmental systems to the point that many saw no possible way out.

In summary, the world was destroying itself.