in the West, the quality of life has been steadily declining for the past 50 years. in India, China and Southeast Asia, where two thirds of humans reside, it has been steadily improving. things aren't great, but much better than they used to be.
China, for example, is facing a slow exodus of Western capital, because it is no longer cheap to manufacture things there, with median income approaching Eastern European levels.
the middle class is rapidly shrinking. that's the most damning metric
the lower classes are worse off now than they were then. home ownership and education are unattainable, healthcare is unaffordable, the overall quality of life is rapidly declining.
> lower classes are worse off now than they were then
This is objectively untrue in terms of real incomes and net financial position. Life expectancy, too, has gone up since the 70s. Consider the quality of life of America’s destitute in 2022 vs. 1972 and the choice is apparent.
This isn’t a roses and sunshine pitch. But believing the West is in decline (versus being caught up to) is a common mistake that leads to predictably bad outcomes.
