The silent praying of the true belivers

I have argued and still believes that what we call "modern western culture" is best understood when seen upon as an religion built on the 3 pillars of; Economic growth, technological progress and the idea that we have cast the very shackles of religion and superstition.
Translated into practical terms;
- There is no limits (as otherwise said by non-believers) and everything is always going forward and getting better.

- We can solve all problems with new or yet non-existing technology (not least the problems created by technology).

- Other non-technocrat cultures are (funny/backward/don't know there own good/dangerous) and since we (are/know/have prof that we are) better we have the (right/moral duty/opportunity) to (help/give/provide/persuade/shock and awe) others to our way of life/democracy/lifestyle.

As long as we can somehow or see some prof of progress (how ludicrous it might be), we can continue to study/work/endure/believe because there in the horizon lies the modern nirvana - plenty and justice for everybody, technology that actually delivers on the promise and no-one get old and sick in that ugly, smelly way.

After WW2 progress and technology began till deliver on the promises and what was regarded as science-fiction began to melt together with they idea of the modern.

One of the effects of "the modern" is the notion that the past no longer concern us, no longer bear meaning to us - that the past cant teach us much and this gives us endless possibilities to make every mistake all over again.
Technology and oil becomes the thin paint that covers reality and the ignorance of the past even succeeded in making us forget how a lot of modern was born in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.

The idea of the modern is just that.. an idea.. A slide of hand that has succeeded in persuading us that we where somewhere else resting on an all-together wonderful and everlasting new foundation.

As time went on we saw penicillin, television, atomic power, washing machines, a man on the moon and everything was fine (beside from the also modern new threat of nuclear holocaust). God proved his existence from time to time.

And things did get better in reality.. to a point. The popular belief was that it was the result of "human ingenuity" and "science". The graph shows another reality and the turning point of 1979 is the departure point from reality.
After this point we made up first with some fuel-saving innovations for a while and later when easy savings, with make-believe. Since we had so high regards of the future is was merely a formality to take out a little loan in the future that would be so plentiful - This how that went;

(source)
See how beautiful they correspond. It´s statistics from the US but it´s the same for all western countries. I should mention that Greece is especially beautiful this time of year.

One of the consequences of the future-ever-better belief is that the children is always to surpass their parents (unless they become drug-addicts or hippies). And no mobile phone or computer on the internet can hide that your car is smaller than your parents or that you cant get a loan on a (smaller) house without the help of your parents or that your job is badly paid and most of the time of a temporary nature. This challenges our beliefs, but we let doubt get the better of us in the hope that this is only a small setback and we have been promised.. and we wait and wait..
...and pray in silence.