A BBC Poll reveals that the U.S. and globalization is viewed as more harmful than terrorism and war.

Now, the in this country we haven’t had a stellar 4 years (or 60), but in general, we’re just not that bad, especially when viewed with a little relativity. However I can understand that in the heat of the moment people look at the big thing in front of them and focus on it–and it’s no shame to hold us up to the standard we set for ourselves and find us wanting.

What’s remarkable to me about the survey results is that they are almost in 100% opposition to the number of people killed by each problem. Arguably tainted water has killed and continues to kill more people than any other problem in the history of humanity. Bar none. Yet it only beat out migration as a world problem.

By comparison, the US and terrorists together have managed to kill only a few thousand people in the last three years, even if you account for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as 9/11 and the Madrid bombing–even if you include the death penalty. That’s sad, but it accounts for something like 0.000003 percent of the world’s population, even if you assume the total is on the order of 20,000.

But tainted water (and water-borne diseases) and illiteracy kill millions every year. Globalization is negatively correlated with illiteracy and tainted water. Yet Globalization is right behind the U.S. as a world problem. Assume 20 million in the same time period, and it’s 0.003 percent of the world’s population. Looks small, but it’s many orders of magnitude larger.

I’d say it should make everyone think, but with my previous post as evidence, people don’t seem to be in much of a mood for reflection.