The end of the end of history: a future history of western decline
Posted by Beneficial_Time_2089@reddit | collapse | View on Reddit | 7 comments
The West did not collapse because it ran out of money or weapons. It collapsed because too many powerful people discovered they could become unimaginably rich by hollowing out their own civilization.
For years people argued about when the decline truly began. Some pointed to the incompetence and corruption of Donald Trump. Others blamed social media, globalization, immigration, or political extremism.
Later historians saw it more clearly.
Trump was a symptom, not the disease. He was the moment the disease became impossible to hide…
NyriasNeo@reddit
"The West did not collapse because it ran out of money or weapons. It collapsed because too many powerful people discovered they could become unimaginably rich by hollowing out their own civilization."
It is inevitable because of human nature. The powerful people are just people who got lucky. Very few will refuse to be rich. Very few will refuse to be powerful. In fact, the middle is working very hard to become rich. Just look at the expansion of the upper middle class to see that.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/upper-middle-class-income-us-what-it-takes/
zezzene@reddit
This is such a dismal and incorrect mindset. There are way more people than you think who are content, don't aspire to be rich and powerful, and who help and give to charity. The only people seeking out that power riches and fame are sociopathic
Beneficial_Time_2089@reddit (OP)
Yes, but you can choose to become rich by delivering something that adds value to society or as I have argued by seizing opportunities that actually destroy value.
NyriasNeo@reddit
Yes, but the main goal is becoming rich. The delivering something that adds value, i bet to most people, is just incidental and they will always choose a dollar first.
Beneficial_Time_2089@reddit (OP)
… people could become rich by murdering others but few choose this route. Getting rich is not a crime. It actually was proven by communist China to be a good motivator to channel the latent energy of the people. However the way people are allowed to get rich is important. If they are allowed to kill others (big tobacco), destroy the earth (big oil), or bankrupt society (big finance), then collapse follows inevitably.
2xtc@reddit
Or you create the perception of value to the public, and then sell them that dream for a massive profit.
Or you give stuff away for "free" and use the personal data consumers willingly hand over in exchange to make a killing in ad revenue etc.
Few_Fish8771@reddit
It started when the us went on the bretton woods system and away from neomercantilism. britains decline happened because they went off neomercantilism. why do societys go off neomercantilism? because wealthy powerful criminals want to steal, everything. So the turning point was right after wwii, when the new monetary system was setup.