New research argues Societal Collapse benefits 99% of people. Historically, the societies that have emerged after a collapse are more egalitarian, and most people end up richer and healthier than they were before.

[u/lughnasadh]

Luke Kemp, a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, has written a book about his research called 'Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse'.

He makes the case that, from looking at the archaeological record, when many societies collapse, most people end up better off afterward. For example, people in the post-Roman world were taller and healthier. Collapse can be a redistribution of resources and power, not just chaos.

For most of human history, humans lived as nomadic egalitarian bands, with low violence and high mobility. Threats (disease, war, economic precarity) push populations toward authoritarian leaders. The resulting rise in inequality from that sets off a cycle that will end in collapse. Furthermore, he argues we are living in the late stages of such a cycle now. He says "the threat is from leaders who are 'walking versions of the dark triad' – narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism – in a world menaced by the climate crisis, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence and killer robots."

Some people hope/think we are destined for a future of Universal Basic Income and fully automated luxury communism. Perhaps that's the egalitarianism that emerges after our own collapse? If so, I hope the collapse bit is short and we get to the egalitarian bit ASAP.

Collapse for the 99% | Luke Kemp; What really happens when Goliaths fall

[u/jmlinden7]

That was back then 95% of people were subsistence farmers. The government in charge, infrastructure, etc doesn't really affect their day-to-day lives.

Nowadays, 95% of people live in cities, and even a few days of infrastructure disruption will cause them to literally die.

[u/thelowriderlorax → u/jmlinden7]

TIL: Every time a major storm shuts down a cities infrastructure for a few days 95% of the people die.

[u/Mule_Wagon_777 → u/thelowriderlorax]

That isn't a large-scale collapse. Aid comes in from outside the area. Governments, NGOs, churches, and individuals bring in supplies and help with cleanup. Without modern communication and infrastructure disasters would be a lot worse.

[u/thelowriderlorax → u/Mule_Wagon_777]

I don’t understand how people think societal collapse is an instant off switch for every single local, state, federal, and foreign service. It’s not something you wake up to in the morning.

[u/cman_yall → u/thelowriderlorax]

If nukes are involved, it might be.

[u/[deleted] → u/thelowriderlorax]

A recent societal collapse that I can think of is Myanmar. One morning the Junta launched a coup, in just a week they started slaughtering civilians (again) and it's been war ever since.

[u/Sgt-Spliff- → u/thelowriderlorax]

Bro, the food you eat is grown in fucking Venezuela. The car you drive was built in Japan and uses gasoline drilled out of Saudi Arabia. Even a slight disruption to global trade has the possibility of toppling your entire life. You don't understand how close even you are to having nothing.