The systemic issue is capital accumulation. It neatly explains everything in your examples that's actually happening and not a hallucination. 

You're right that EA needed this guidance on sociological and political issues...

Ten years ago.

This was a discussion that was had, and rejected, early on. Now everything EA did is meaningless as capital destroys the world economy and all institutions of collective action.

Two factors come to mind.

It isn't. Prices are just inflated creating false growth. Real gdp, adjusted for variable inflation, shows dead even growth. 

Inequality. There are more billionaires in the US siphoning money from across the globe due to the lack of effective capital regulation. Hence what effects do persist are partially explained as capital flight to the USA inflating the top of the per capital pyramid without in any way increasing actual worker productivity.