Abbey, and His Fear of Progress The day that the gray jeep with the U.S. Government decal and "Bureau of Public Roads" on it, Edward Abbey knew that progress had arrived. He had foreseen it, watching other parks like his, fall in the face of progress. He knew that hordes of people and their "machines" would come (Abbey 50-51). Most people see progress as a good thing. Abbey proclaims. "I would rather take my chances in a thermonuclear war than live in such a world (Abbey 60)." "Prog-ress n. forward motion or advance to a higher goal; an advance; steady improvement (Webster's)." Is progress really all of that? How can you improve on mother nature? Progress actually