Civilisation goes through stages as it cycles through ruling classes

Dark Ages (rule by warlord) 1st estate 2nd estate 3rd estate Dark Ages again etc.

And the basic state of affairs is where there is little individual rights/property/wife/freedom etc., everything belongs to the elite. Civilisation to some extent can clamber out of that but only a certain way then it starts slipping back down. Where is the high point for individual freedom etc. I suppose is arguable, a lot closer to the end than the beginning though.

Now we are quite well back on our way to the Dark Ages socially, although all the tech and wealth that we have accumulated has a lot of inertia so the standard of living lags well behind. That scenario is very roughly what,

men 5% elite 15% middle class of sorts 80% slaves

women 80% belong to the elite, the elite allow the middle class a few of them to keep them loyal 20% are surplus

Obviously the days of having your wife and home and family and so on are more than halfway out the door, to be successful with women now you have to either be very high-status or run tight game. Mathematically only a small fraction of men can be very high-status, and I believe game and feral women is instinctively morally disgusting to the large majority of men too.

So people like me and I venture to say most readers are back to our institutional cuckold status. We are allowed to eke out a basic existence but we don't have access to women other than by paying for prostitutes. No girlfriend, no companionship, no wife, no family, no children, we work/pay/create/maintain and it all goes to the so-called 'alpha elite'.