Regarding 2. I think the crux of the controversy around progressivism is not so "much what is to be done" but, "by whom?" The separation of powers in the west

Regarding 2. I think the crux of the controversy around progressivism is not so "much what is to be done" but, "by whom?" The separation of powers in the west has been a pretty good at being resiliant to change with a kind of meta-stability, and also facilitating growth. Dynasties provided stability for milennia, but somehow prevented humans from making any of the post-enlightenment discoveries from the last 300 years anywhere else, and over hundreds of millions of lives. Out on a limb, but I actually suspect in the 19th century as a conseqeuence of mass literacy, we figured out how to create the equivalent to internet viruses, but in language, and use them to spread variants of mental illness. Metaphorically, our current conflicts closely resemble the consequences of ideological botnets weilded by some very unsavory characters. One way to free minds from it is to inculcate them with the idea that everywhere there is life, it is evident that it was not meant just to struggle and suffer, but it was created with an intent for it to thrive. This is really meta, but I'd say logically we need to get upstream of materialism if we're going to find ways solve material problems, and if we don't, we're just going to stay in solipsistic loops that justify our will to power. The view of the world that is predicated on an identity founded on being oppressed by other people is really a perverse form of materialist worship, where it doesn't believe in creation or intent, but it does believe in its inferiorized self relative to the idealized (evil) object it sees its identity reflected in. The view has allowed itself to be defined by (and relative-to) its own peak experience, and one that was negative. This is heresy, surely, but it seems worth it given the alternatives. Anyway, I'd say the thing to do is, make new stuff, discover new things, and if you can't, find a way align with those who are. This meta stuff is just articulating how to untangle some of the underlying morass of beliefs that I think are getting in the way of thriving life.