Assuming you’re American, your parents basically won the birth jackpot. The united states implemented a mixed economy shortly before the rest of the industrialized world was destroyed in a massive war, while we rapidly increased industrial capacity to aid the war effort.

Then right as that all slowed down shortly before you were born we began the process of neoliberalization. A process by which we received short term gains in exchange for giving up long term capacity and security. This kept the gravy train going for a while longer but it dropped the floor hard. And so we’re paying the price, as the rich refuse to accept any less. Additionally the main fast cash we can squeeze out at this point is through ecological devastation that will cost us multiple times what we get fairly quickly.