That's why I used the qualifier "democratically tenable". The human calculus of equity and fairness isn't something we have a firm grip on or even an adequate a

That's why I used the qualifier "democratically tenable". The human calculus of equity and fairness isn't something we have a firm grip on or even an adequate appreciation of, but I think it's safe to say objective, absolute improvements in either individual or collective welfare don't necessarily account for much; and our cost functions for particular benefits and risks less than obvious or intuitive.