As the days left in 2021 dwindle, you may feel that annual tug to judge this calendar year as cruelly as possible. After all, it was yet another year lived in a pandemic, on a warming planet, with teetering democracies and aspirational autocrats (tune in next week for that debate). But is it actually true? Did the world really get worse in 2021?

For this Very NYT Opinion New Year’s Eve* episode of “The Argument,” Jane Coaston called upon podcast listeners and Opinion voices like the columnists Michelle Goldberg, Farhad Manjoo and Jamelle Bouie, the editorial board member Michelle Cottle and the musician and contributing writer Tom Morello to make the case for whether the world will enter 2022 a little bit better, or a little bit worse for wear.

*close enough

Mentioned in this episode:

• Michelle Goldberg’s column “The Problem of Political Despair”
• Michelle Cottle’s editorials on Liz Cheney, Joe Manchin, progressive frustrations with Democrats and the future elections that could shake both parties
• Jamelle Bouie’s newsletter on “Nightmare on Elm Street” — sign up for Jamelle’s newsletter here
• Farhad Manjoo’s columns on the wind and solar energy boom, the California drought and the carbon footprint of travel
• Tom Morello’s newsletter on his 98-year-old mom’s radical compassion — sign up for Tom’s newsletter here
• “Devil Put the Coal in the Ground,” by Steve Earle
• “The Argument” episode on qualified immunity and Tony Timpa’s case

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.