Progress traps:

We believe that we are alone in this universe and that we are superior to all other life forms

We believe that we have achieved the best economic system, and that there is no room for improvement.

Wright cites Francis Fukuyama, a former U.S. State Department official, declared that capitalism and democracy were the "end" of history not only its destination but its goal I often find that people are quick to point out that alternative economic systems are not as efficient as capitalism, or they go on to defend how we have the best life because we have a superior economic system. To claim that we have a superior system that is not in need of change would be to ignore the massive flaws that come with our system, institutionalized corruption of politician through corporate lobbying, sweatshops, degradation of the environment, and the rise of inequality are but a few of the stronger problems that have arisen due to the manner in which we have set up the system. It is actually quite difficult to completely understand all of the forces and to come to a conclusive decision as to what is best. One could use the lens of statistics, history, economics, or even philosophy to come to several conclusions. But I think it is a major trap to come to the conclusion that what we currently have is the best and that it is what we should continue to use and advocate for others. So strong is this ideal that it became one of the excuses for which a war was begun. The US death toll was 2,977civilians. The Iraqui is Million. It would take 167 9/11s to justify the death toll that the USA has created, if we look at it in terms of numbers.[footnoteRef:1] The amount of cash that has been spent on the war effort and that will be spent is roughly 3.105 Trillion dollars. At the height of the Iraq war, in 2011, obesity would will 20000 Americans before a terrorist would, and on htat year, only 17 Americans died as a result of terrorism, and that included deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq and all other theaters of war[footnoteRef:2] [1: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/us/sept-11-reckoning/cost-graphic.html] [2: http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-terrorism-statistics-every-american-needs-to-hear/5382818]

In fact, in the USA student debt has climbed to such exuberant heights that is becoming bigger in magnitude than the subprime mortgage debts that were a major cause of the last Great Recession Via the US subprime mortgage crisis in 2008[footnoteRef:3] [3: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-loan-debt-nears-1-trillion-is-it-the-new-subprime/]

I think that debt cancellation is one of the major ideas the government should be considering. It is not wihout reasons that we have a great number of people protesting against inequality. Preceding the 2008 bailout over 100 university economists expressed great concern of the plan, and correctly identified that the bailout was little more than a subsidy to investors at taxpayers' expense [footnoteRef:4] [4: http://freakonomics.com/2008/09/23/economists-on-the-bailout/]

Wright gave several examples of how civilizations that ignore signs of danger eventually collapse. As an example was given the people of Easter islands. These were a culture who placed the most emphasis on devotional competition through sculpture making. Unfortunately they destroyed their entire habitat and went from supporting up to ten thousand inhabitants all living in bounty, to less than hundred seeking to kill each other for basic goods. [footnoteRef:5] [5: http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/easter-island.htm]

Although we may feel as if this is not something that can occur to us, within our generation, the signs of the times are hsowing that more and more, was a result of our unsustainable ways we are beriding the gap between the reality we live in and the one that we would rather avoid. Previous advanced cilillizations have suffered collapse, including the maya, the Cahokia, and the Romans all of which wright mentions. The American scientist Jared Diamond has outlined how our own civilizations may be closer to collapse than we imagine it to be in his book Collapse.

I personally think that if we fail to