As our societies become more ‘developed’, an ever-increasing level of complexity is needed to manage them. History shows that complexity often leads to collapse.
Before there are any solutions, people have to accept that there is a problem. The Romans didn't look around and say, "Hey, look! Rome is collapsing!" It took many years and it was a death of thousands of tiny cuts.
Some people are aware of the problems in these cities but the ones that are can see the writing on the wall and relocate. Then you are left with the people who are insulated from the problems by wealth and the ones who don't have the resources to escape. Little by little, the protection of that wealth erodes as the problems become bigger and you are left with fewer and fewer of those who are not able to ignore them.
Look at the basic things.They may see some of the problems but they just pay someone else to deal with them. The wealthy have their children in private schools and are not confronted with the issues in the public scools. Instead of using public transit, they go around in taxis and limos. They have security to keep out the riff raff. Maybe they get fleeting glimpses of it as they go between their nice places but it is just a reminder of how well off they are not to have it be a big part of their lives.
The media are some of the worst. The system in place ensures that only people of means are involved. They had enough wealth to go to the "right" schools. They had enough to be able to take on unpaid internships in the most expensive cities and the connections to even be considered for those. These problems don't exist in their world.
I suggest you invite Jem Bendell onto your podcast. https://medium.com/@jylterps/joining-together-as-imperial-modernity-breaks-book-review-and-essay-with-excerpts-75599918206a
Great post
Before there are any solutions, people have to accept that there is a problem. The Romans didn't look around and say, "Hey, look! Rome is collapsing!" It took many years and it was a death of thousands of tiny cuts.
Some people are aware of the problems in these cities but the ones that are can see the writing on the wall and relocate. Then you are left with the people who are insulated from the problems by wealth and the ones who don't have the resources to escape. Little by little, the protection of that wealth erodes as the problems become bigger and you are left with fewer and fewer of those who are not able to ignore them.
Look at the basic things.They may see some of the problems but they just pay someone else to deal with them. The wealthy have their children in private schools and are not confronted with the issues in the public scools. Instead of using public transit, they go around in taxis and limos. They have security to keep out the riff raff. Maybe they get fleeting glimpses of it as they go between their nice places but it is just a reminder of how well off they are not to have it be a big part of their lives.
The media are some of the worst. The system in place ensures that only people of means are involved. They had enough wealth to go to the "right" schools. They had enough to be able to take on unpaid internships in the most expensive cities and the connections to even be considered for those. These problems don't exist in their world.
Wise analysis, Zahra
Thank you
Nicely done....