best we have ever had by many measurements The problem with this view is that Easter Island was probably the best it ever was until the last tree was cut down.

best we have ever had by many measurements The problem with this view is that Easter Island was probably the best it ever was until the last tree was cut down. Of COURSE your standard of living will be the highest it's ever been when you're on the upslope of resource utilization/credit expansion. The few bears/grinches/negative nellies/chicken littles remaining aren't going around proclaiming how terrible things are right now - rather, we're pessimistic about what the future will bring. And we all want to be wrong, but don't think we are.