Democracy and free speech are declining significantly, and inequality is escalating, with the top 1% gaining increasing wealth. In the US, maternal mortality has tripled for millennials compared to their parents, raising serious health concerns. Global life expectancy and food standards are also deteriorating. Samuel Miller McDonald critiques the idea of progress, suggesting it has led to complacency and false consciousness, fueled by elite propaganda. Historically, societies were more egalitarian and harmonious with nature before the rise of hierarchical economies around 3000BCE, which altered human relationships with the environment.
The United States has a Gini coefficient on par with slave-owning Ancient Rome, indicating a stark level of inequality where the wealthy increasingly consolidate power and resources.
Maternal mortality rates for American millennials are three times higher than those of their parents' generation, revealing a significant health crisis despite the nation's wealth.
What accounts for our complacency? False consciousness, claims McDonald in this polemic against the myth of progress, suggesting we have been misled by elite narratives.
Historically, societies embraced egalitarianism and harmonious relationships with nature; the emergence of hierarchical economies around 3000BCE marked the beginning of humanity's exploitative stance towards the environment.
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