Recognizing the signs of societal collapse
Recognizing the signs of societal collapse
History shows us some important mile markers on our way to impending demise.
Societal collapse is a somber historical reality. Civilizations rise and fall, and it’s the job of future generations to figure out why.
Historians and scholars have recognized certain patterns that likely led to the end of civilizations like the Mayan Empire, the Roman Empire, and the Easter Island society. Since history often rhymes, it would stand to reason that — given just how smart we are with our computing power and artificial intelligence — we should be able to detect signals and early warnings that collapse is near.
Easier said than done. We know hindsight is usually 20/20; distance, reflection, and detachment are helpful tools of perspective. So, if you’re living in a society undergoing all of the various stages of decay, how do you recognize when that same society is teetering on the brink of catastrophe?
History provides important mile markers on our way to impending demise that anyone with eyes open can see, including:
Political instability, weak or corrupt governance, social unrest, and a breakdown of law and order
Economic problems like unsustainable debt, inflation, and trade imbalances
Extreme social stratification, with a wealthy elite and a marginalized majority
A lack of social cohesion, trust, and shared values
A decline in cultural and moral values, as well as a loss of cultural identity
Natural resource depletion and over-exploitation that undermine a civilization's ability to sustain itself
External invasions, conquests, or warfare
Do any of these look familiar?
Political instability, frequently manifested as government corruption and growing distrust of the political system among citizens, is often one of the first signs of a society in distress.
In the United States, public trust in the federal government has dropped to near-record lows, with fewer than 2-in-10 Americans saying they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (1%) or “most of the time” (15%). Pew researchers say this is among the lowest trust measures they have seen in nearly 70 years of polling.
Economic upheaval — in the form of currency debasement, hyperinflation, widespread unemployment, and a shrinking middle class — is also a clear harbinger of doom. But, if you look at recent headlines or listen to White House press briefings, you will hear that the American economy is in good shape, with low unemployment and inflation held in check.
In reality, however, Americans know something isn’t right.
Inflation has slowed a lot since peaking [in summer 2022] at a four-decade high of 9.1%, but prices across much of the economy are still increasing. While wages have risen sharply over the last few years, for many Americans they haven’t kept up with the accumulated impact of higher costs at the gas pump, at the grocery store, at the local neighborhood restaurant and everything in between.
For a while, households had extra savings from the pandemic as a cash buffer – helping to ease three-straight years of declining incomes. But recent data from the Federal Reserve showed 80% of households have less cash on hand now than they did before the pandemic, adjusted for inflation.
It was George Costanza in Seinfeld who gave Jerry an important piece of advice: “It’s not a lie if you believe it.” That appears to be the guiding principle for those we have entrusted with leading all aspects of our society.
For example, the traditional definitions and formulas for calculating inflation have been completely abandoned for revised formulas. Such revisions, unsurprisingly, are intended to hide bad data and favor feel-good news. The corollary to that is the expectation that people will believe it.
In the end the Internet — the very thing that could destroy the last vestiges of our freedom — may actually provide a lifeline if enough of us wake up and pay attention. In a recent whiteboard video, macro-economic observer George Gammon did a good job of explaining how ivory tower government officials with zero clue about the real world have put us on a collision course with a harsh and miserable reality intended to inflict maximum pain on you, the average American. Have a watch:
Of course, there’s no need to belabor the social disintegration we’ve been seeing recently. It’s the result of a dangerous cocktail of idiotic policy, wokeism, willful blindness, and the abandonment of respect for law and order.
Cities like Philadelphia, where widespread looting took place just a few weeks ago, tell a grim tale of how things are going in some parts of America. Last week, the owner of a newly-opened car dealership reported that 7 of the 11 cars on his lot were stolen in one night. "I think if I had the choice all over, I would not come to Philadelphia. I think a lot of people are feeling that way," he said. Conversations like these are probably taking place in all of America’s once-great cities.
So where does that leave us? Taken alone, none of the indicators on the road to collapse have to lead to that eventuality. Collapse doesn’t have to be inevitable. It takes leadership. Smart decisions. Fiscal prudence. An educated and moral populace. Common sense. Honesty.
These are just some of the antidotes that can pull us back from the road to ruin. But there is a tipping point at which there’s no going back.
Sadly, we may have already reached that point.