At the same time, one could argue that in some ways things are getting better. There is a global acceptance that slavery is bad, human rights is good, yadda yadda yadda, even though slavery still exists everywhere and human rights are trampled every day. So, maybe things aren't getting better?

One view is that the 'cultural revolution' that begun in the 60's-70's was 'won'. There are things that are better as you mention - along with women's rights, gay rights, racism is less, etc. Those advances were made through organization - becoming as organized as the right - even more so. The trouble is that organization - the political machine - was so successful that it became the dominant force. The machine subsumed the individual activists as well as basic moral principles that had guided their idealism.

One of the ironies of today's situation is the makers & shakers of the progressive side of politics, the side that is supposed to represent the poor and disenfranchised, are all super rich. Having attained this wealth and power over the machine, they do what humans do - strive to entrench/increase that power, to centralize it further.

People are now in the ridiculous position of cheering for billionaires - that's what our influence has been reduced to.

For those looking to Musk to 'save free-speech' - that's fraught with peril. Musk is another inaccessible celebrity with enormous power who is actively looking to centralize power.

The house of cards is way too tall to stand much longer, and it's mostly financial... the power hungry have been sucking the blood out of the world economy way to long and it can't be maintained. So, it's going to go through a massive shock, the economy that is, and this will give those in power even more power.

It's interesting to note Musk is willing a recession to happen for the very reason you mention. It's common sense that the best place to ride out a storm is behind the palace gates - then you go out and claim control over all the wreckage. That wreckage won't be the big operators - it will be small businesses, normal people. The net result is it even further concentrates power.

It's a vicious cycle. It's no lose for the rich and no progress for the poor and middle class. They hold all cards. House collapses? No problem. Inhale all the wealth in the world in the name of social safety and security, whether that inhalation be to the military, the banks (because they're too big to fail, not like you or me), reconstruction, or themselves.

Aristotle had the idea that the ideal-sized state is one that's encompassed in the range of the town-crier's voice. He came to this conclusion coz he knew vast kingdoms controlled by an inaccessible few would inevitably lead to despots abusing power, which he considered the worst form of government. This appears to be what is happening. It may sound far-fetched, but i wonder if this localized power-structure might make a come-back. At least then if i don't like the direction my community is heading in then i can go to a local meeting and raise my objections directly with those who are making the decisions.

Only problem is it make take the collapse of civilization to ever get back to that point.