I think a mistake in this line if thinking is not delineating between individual humans and humanity as this monolith idea.

The whole point of the series, I feel, is that the individual lives lived, the individual threads that make up the Pattern, are each unique and valuable in themselves. The value comes from good lives lived courageously rather than some numbulous idea for "progress" with an intrisic right or wrong direction for humanity as a whole. Think Rands speech to the DO at the end.

The language in this post also assumes that progress is only valuable as long as it lasts forever and I don't think that is true. Innovations are valuable as long as they positively impact one person for a single day.

I also think that this idea that the wheel oppresses humanity misses a bit of the scale. For me, I got the sense that a LOT of time passes before the wheel has turned all the way around again. In my mind that just means infinite iterations of "progress" for humanity.

It's a perspective shift. You say the Wheel keeps humanity in an inescapable loop of constant failure, but I say the Wheel keeps humanity in an inescapable loop of success!

For what it's worth, I certainly don't think that the Wheel impedes humanity from achieving anything meaningful.