Money has always hindered progress.
Any advancement made to systems or processes has been with the intention of saving money in order to boost profits, prevent cost overruns or reward shareholders. Also, any new technology that threatens to make an oligopolistic industry (e.g., Oil and Gas, the Auto Industry, etc.) obsolete and to wipe out its cartel’s massive wealth will be resisted.
True, unrestrained social and technological progress will not be possible as long as profits and budgets dictate which innovative ideas are adopted or dropped.
Ultimately, we are allowing the fate of humanity to rest on the backs of accountants and bureaucrats as they tell us that there isn’t enough money to pay for continued research into renewable energy sources, for pollution control, for investment in social support programs, for maintenance of infrastructure, etc.
Clearly, what money primarily does is add friction to social and technological advancement.
We can’t collectively progress forward as long as money dictates “how far along” we can move.
Sigh.
So all we can do is hobble forward because it’s the only rate of progress we can manage for now.
