Then how come our system destroys and dehumanizes so many people, not to mention animals? We have entire companies dedicated to ripping apart the flesh of animals, a system that forces people to slave away in jobs they don't like, and you want to call it "progress" by measuring the amount of money people are making. For some people, that's not the end goal - we don't want our lives measured in dollars and sense. If we don't end up making as much money as somebody else, fine - I'd be perfectly happy to live like the French.