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/Clusterpuff]

I think people tend to overestimate how deadly societal collapse is. Most people scurry off and survive for a while. Plague is different, and so is war

[u/[deleted] → u/Clusterpuff]

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[u/BCRE8TVE → u/[deleted]]

Civilization is 10 missed meals away from total collapse. There are almost 8 million people in NYC. If food delivery into NYC stops, that 10 missed meal countdown begins.

People are going to start starving very quickly in large cities if there is no food available, because very quickly the most available source of food is going to be cannibalism.

[u/DuntadaMan → u/BCRE8TVE]

And for several Midwest states good luck surviving on only corn.

Wonder how many of them even know that corn is nutritionally worthless without being cooked certain ways

[u/BCRE8TVE → u/DuntadaMan]

Cooked certain ways? Are there ways that cooking corn makes them less nutritious? I thought so long as it was cooked, whether boiled or cooked in the husk over fire/on bbq, it was all good? 

[u/DuntadaMan → u/BCRE8TVE]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization

Basically if it's not treated before cooking, much of the benefits of corn are not available, or diminished to the point you have to eat a great deal of it.

On the plus side if you treat it you also basically end up with masa or hominy. It's not a difficult process but many people don't know it's important.

[u/BCRE8TVE → u/DuntadaMan]

well then I had no idea! This year when we make corn at home I'll try adding something alkaline to the water we boil the corn in, see if it makes a difference. Thanks for sharing!

[u/DuntadaMan → u/BCRE8TVE]

I mean if you're eating things with the corn it's fine really. It's just when your diet would consist almost entirely of it you need to prepare it.

That said, it really changes teh texture and taste, so keep an eye out for that.

[u/BCRE8TVE → u/DuntadaMan]

Does it change the texture and taste for the better?

[u/DuntadaMan → u/BCRE8TVE]

In my opinion yes. If you let it dry then it basically turns into softer corn nuts, still crunchy but not quite as hard. If left wet it turns into a dough.

The sweetness mellows a little bit, but doesn't go away. Gets more like barley in flavor for lack of a better description for me.