Progress Paradox

To a great extent, this explains the troubles and crises that social observers and critics wrestle with as they try to explain our cultural dystopia. As we keep moving forward, we add to our problems. Some symptoms of the Progress Paradox include the following:

From 1980 to 2000, the U.S. population grew 24% while our prison population grew 220%.

We are adding almost 100 million persons to the planet each year.

Around 30-35% of the adult U.S. population is functionally illiterate.

About 3 out of 10 U.S. babies are born to an unwed mother.

The average wage-earner's hourly pay has fallen from $16.82 in 1973 (in 2003 dollars) to $15.11 in 2003.

Our national debt is now more than $6.5 trillion-- over $22,000 for every man, woman, and child.

S.A.T. scores have dropped 10% in the last 35 years.

Worldwide we destroy between 50,000 and 100,000 acres of virgin rain forest every year.

Incidents of violent crime in the U.S. grew from 417 per 100,000 persons in 1973 to 506 in 2000.

In 1963, entitlement programs constituted 30% of the federal budget. Today they account for more than 60% of our federal expenses.

Since 1960, when 63% of the eligible voters cast a ballot, the percentage of voters has fallen steadily--to 51% in 2000.

In 1976, one-third of all married mothers were working. By 2003, almost three-fourths of all married mothers were working.

In 1970, Americans generated 121 million tons of garbage yearly. In 2000, we created 220 million tons.

The estimated cost for rebuilding the nation's physical infrastructure is more than 3 trillion dollars.

The federal government has at least 5 billion files on individual Americans-- about 18 for every man, woman, and child.

We are wiping out up to 100 species of animals and insects every day.