The underlying problem is that there is a major focus on "growth" over everything else. Our society has gotten better at promoting growth while keeping inflation down.

Part of this is the natural growth that comes from increases in productivity and technology, but this is amplified by financial and legal policies to amplify the effect.

This is problematic because it ignores or discounts other goals, like ecological stability, supporting the middle class, or basic sustainability.

This last item is the concerning one. We burn through a years worth of global resources in shorter and shorter amounts of time each year.

If we are lucky, then one or more bubbles will burst and we will have economic difficulty. If we are NOT lucky, then we will continue to optimize growth until we have drained the resources from the planet. The result of that outcome is dire.