How a restless system reshaped our lives and what it is doing to us now In barely two centuries, capitalism has rewritten the story of human life. It has lifted millions out of poverty, connected distant continents, and filled our homes with goods and gadgets that our grandparents could not have imagined. Yet the same system that built this modern world now feels like a force beyond anyone’s control — widening inequality, hollowing out communities, and pushing both people and planet to the brink.