Your ideas about economics are seriously flawed. It is not a "zero sum" game. Someone does not have to lose for someone else to win. In a trade, both sides benefit. A rising tide actually DOES lift all boats.

Wealth is not mass or energy - it can be created as well as destroyed, and people create more of it when they are free than when they are slaves. Simple observation shows that our world contains far more real wealth than it once did, and most of it came from nations like ours. Look at the machine in front of you. Think about what you consider "growth." It isn't always about bigger or noisier.

We are doing more with fewer resources than ever before. Look at this chart. There is no reason this could not continue to improve. Markets love efficiency. You make more money with less stuff. Even something as simple as a beverage can is a marvel of structural efficiency (I looked at the design once). Nobody forced the can companies to do this. You don't need bayonets for everything.

Your work life must have been one of constant pain. I have rarely seen anyone as bitter about this sort of thing.