Why do leftists always talk about how "it could be so much worse"?

I mean I get it. It is pretty obvious that the wealthy class benefits off the poor. But what I don't get is how this is supposed to justify people living in poor conditions and dying because they don't have access to good healthcare and education. Why does it always have to be framed as "it could be so much worse", "we should be glad we are not in North Korea", "you have no idea how it was for my grandparents", "at least you have access to water", etc.<br><br>What is the purpose of this? Why do they want people to feel grateful and relieved about their situation? Do they really want people to accept their fate and not fight for change?