Can We Be Optimist?

In Liverpool, we got two T-shirts that have the phrase "Imagine peace" in many different languages,one for our son and one for a fried of ours who is acting for peace. When I was teaching at junior highs, I often read the phrases with students. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
Is the world getting better?
When I handed a flier about the government and its politics a few days ago, a man said," I agree with the government. China and Korea are making a fool of us, Japan. We can't bear their underestimating us. We have to be strong, and the only way to show it is the military strength." He talked about the nations and the wars like a quarrel among the children. More people look to be thinking like them these days, and the fact scares me.
Another friend of ours who is acting in Okinawa says that he is givig canoe lesson to fight on the sea against the construction of new US military base and he is enjoying it. What an optimism!