Among many things, some of them already pointed out above:
That the Human race is on a downward spiral, getting ever worse the farther we get from Adam's perfection. In conjunction with this, that the "System of Things" is degenerating, Satan's influence permeates the world, things are getting worse day by day.
It didn't make any sense to me then, nor does it when I hear my family try to make the point now.
The Watchtower is full of bad news, calamities, famine and earthquakes, never seeing the progress.
Eric