Candidates for political office need to tell us how
bad things are so their plans for fixing the nation’s problems sound brilliant. But as this conceit plays out, we might conclude conditions in
the country couldn’t be more dire. You
know that’s not true, as do I. Worse are
the politicians who would ask us to return to the 50’s/60’s/70’s when turmoil
described our world, civil rights strife and the Viet Nam War, to name two
potboilers.
The world is a better place today than it was a
fifty years ago. Heck, even the ozone
hole has diminished in size. Here are
some other factoids (I have all the sources for these stats…if you want them,
let me know!) :
After rising by 126% between 1960
and 1970 the 2010 violent crime rate is the lowest since the 70's at about 1/3
of 1973's. The violent crime rate under Reagan was 65% higher than today.
The overall crime rate is half of what it was in 1990. Since 1960, the
average number of police deaths per year fell by 25% when compared to the
last eight years. Poverty in America has fallen by 22% in the last 60 years. Average life expectancy has
increased by 11 years (16%) since WWII. Today's child mortality rate is
about one-third of 1960's. Inflation adjusted income per person has increased
by 122% since 1960. US manufacturers produce more than twice as much as they
did in 1980, but the kinds of manufacturing jobs have changed. The average
inflation adjusted price for gas today is just $0.11/gal more than 1981. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average has increased by 249% since 1960.
For me, as a writer, my good news-two books coming out this year. Even better, my
books emerge among a wealth of wonderful writers who have learned the ins and outs of small press/indie publishing to get their treasures out to readers. The big six have lost their monopoly on what readers get to enjoy.
We're in the HEA business, after all...what good news can you bring to the 2016 table?
Six
Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance
