Russia has shown to have a hard time invading a small country and being a minor power with nukes, so WWIII with them seems unlikely
The power of economic sanctions makes a confrontation with China less likely, the oligarchic power there not seeing what it has to gain with it
Environmentalism, despite what many people think, has become a mainstream opinion in most western countries
Authoritarians who used some kind of socialism as their core ideology now switched to the far right as their main relays. Now 95% of the anticapitalists do not consider Russia or China as models anymore. A real discussion is occurring unencumbered of authoritarian baggage and apologetics.
A big part of the perception that the world is getting shittier actually comes from the world and the public opinion getting better at self-awareness and introspection. Overdue critics of colonialism and neocolonialism are gaining traction (to the point that conservatives consider it is not niche anymore but a threat they need to address). Systemic racism is now a notion that is discussed within the Overton window. To someone like me in his 40s the evolution of the acceptance of LGBTQ has actually been pretty fast.
Also a bit more debatable I guess, but I also see the declining religiosity of the rich countries as a big factor for hope.
Recent events give me fuel for hope actually:
A big part of the perception that the world is getting shittier actually comes from the world and the public opinion getting better at self-awareness and introspection. Overdue critics of colonialism and neocolonialism are gaining traction (to the point that conservatives consider it is not niche anymore but a threat they need to address). Systemic racism is now a notion that is discussed within the Overton window. To someone like me in his 40s the evolution of the acceptance of LGBTQ has actually been pretty fast.
Also a bit more debatable I guess, but I also see the declining religiosity of the rich countries as a big factor for hope.