> It seems like the economy is kind of doing this on its own?

This is what I was replying to. At least to me, saying the economy did something on its own takes the agency and responsibility off of us. My point was that the economy is just backward looking analysis of how money changes hands, it does nothing by itself and when things change its the result of us making decisions.

I suppose I read “repression” as something that is induced by policymakers rather than chosen by the masses / “the invisible hand,” so I framed my response in those terms. I think we agree though, the wording is just different.