It might be an easier game and that’s fine (maybe Miyazaki is getting worse with age), but I never imagined that they expected standard players to opt out of using major gameplay features just to have a normal / balanced run. That would be so unlike FromSoft.
The word “conditions” is not defined here.
I suppose if an individual believes higher consumption = better conditions then this could be true for the individual. That’s a silly definition imo, but I guess it’s somewhat popular.
To me better conditions means a more equitable and less exploitative society where people aren’t driven to mental health crises and deaths of despair. I don’t give a damn about the treats. I’m more concerned about ending cycles of trauma than boosting industrial output. By this definition, it’s essentially a transformative rather than reformative process, and I can’t imagine rich countries improving without also causing significant improvement in the countries they currently exploit.