The world is not getting richer, some few are getting richer. The vast majority is going light years away from getting a horse
Based on what metric? Because on measures of health, wealth and happiness it's bee a good half century.
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.
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.