"Survival of the Fittest" used to cull the herd, genetics wise.
Part of being fit was being intelligent enough to use common sense, keep fit, keep healthy, have something set aside for rainy days, etc.
Now members of the herd are being artificially kept going, even though they practice none of the above behaviors.
Hence we step downward, to reach the least common denominator, as if our country has an inexhaustible quantity of money and economic well being, not to mention dumbing down the genetic pool.