While I didn't really intend for the thread to take this type of turn, it is interesting, as are some of the posts in the
companion thread that I started as a counterpoint.
I don't think that humankind is a "failed experiment", and frankly I'm willing to bet that the amount of horrific human behavior is no greater than at any time in history. Rather the 24/7 news cycle and inter webs brings things to light that previously would have been un-noticed by many. In fact, I'd guess that it is probably better than before, though most parts of the planet continue to struggle just to make it through the day relative to 1st world problems.
Perception is reality. One can look at the horrific acts and take that as a sign that the world is terrible, or a wake up call to be steadfast in exposing and rooting out evil where we can. There is easily as much beauty as horror in the world - we choose which to focus on and which to color our perception of our lives. The stories posted are a reminder to me that there will always be bad people in the world. And part of our job is to push back against that part of (in)humanity. Small acts of courage change the world in bigger ways than we realize. Giving up and writing off society is an act of selfishness imho. Everyone has the power to change something for the better. Failure to do so is on that person, not "society" or "government" or "the other guy."