It helps that we're still ran by geriatrics that literally have no stake in the world beyond the short term.

And American geriatrics largely despise the generations that came after them. Most not only don't want to plant trees whose shade they will never sit in, like those in a decent society would, they want to burn the trees they sat under out of spite and vanity. This tree is theirs, and all those trees over there! Make your own trees, filthy taker future people!

This is where encouraging greed and selfishness, oh I'm sorry, "rugged individualism and rational-self-interest" as our core cultural values leads, oblivion.