I agree, somewhat, though I'd also caution against too much skepticism. Remember that we have no way of accounting for the wars that were averted by human goodness, because by definition those wars did not happen.

But periodically there is a close call that is sharp enough that we can see human goodness in action. The active correspondence between Kennedy and Kruschev during the Cuban Missile Crisis, for example. Or, during that same crisis, the actions of Vasili Arkhipov, which almost singlehandedly averted a major nuclear war.

Goodness mostly goes unsung, behind the scenes, while hatred parades itself and its effects luridly in the public eye. It is appropriate for us to be concerned with the spectacle, but only because our job is to contain it and clean it up so that our children have the luxury of forgetting even more than us.