The idea of progress has been central to the Left since its inception. From the French Revolution on, the task was nothing less than the struggle to free humanity from the bonds of necessity.

But today faith in progress has been severely diminished. While we have made incredible productive and technological leaps, the benefits have fed into a social system built upon exploitation and domination. The result is an overriding sense of hopelessness in the face of the accumulation of power and wealth at the very top of society.

In this issue, we provide a nuanced picture of where progress has been made in both technological and social terms — and how it has been reversed.