In 02023, people are becoming poorer, their lifespans are shorter;
food costs more, and housing is worse. You'd think there would be
more focussed, radical indignation about such an obvious bad scene
-- a culture in visible decline -- but the temper of the times seems
to welcome it, somehow.

...

I don't like begin a year with gloomy, elaborate whining; that like
a privileged luxury that people have when Mom's not chased in exile
and Dad's not under arms in a trench. And yet, I do realize that
my customary futurist speculative habits have become old-fashioned.
I'm from a tech-obsessed subculture, so it's my habit to look for
scientific and industrial innovations and assume they're gonna alter
the world's situation.

That's not what happens in this decade. I'm aware that I need
better methods.