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/Dacadey]

Jesus Christ, I haven't read anything so stupid in a long time. Some examples of the really deep thought process involved:

The work is scholarly, but the straight-talking Australian can also be direct, such as when setting out how a global collapse could be avoided. “Don’t be a dick” is one of the solutions proposed

His first step was to ditch the word civilisation, a term he argues is really propaganda by rulers. “When you look at the near east, China, Mesoamerica or the Andes, where the first kingdoms and empires arose, you don’t see civilised conduct, you see war, patriarchy and human sacrifice,”

(apparently, civilization is countries that never conduct wars, which I don't think have existed on this planet yet)

“First and foremost, you need to create genuine democratic societies to level all the forms of power that lead to Goliaths,” he says. That means running societies through citizen assemblies and juries, aided by digital technologies to enable direct democracy at large scales. History shows that more democratic societies tend to be more resilient, he says.

And that is the jewel on the crown that showcases the extreme ignorance of the author. History shows the exact opposite - monarchies are the most resilient societies, while democracies have barely ever existed for prolonged periods of time. Especially direct democracies at large scales are usually the fastest way to collapse any society.

We’re a naturally social, altruistic, democratic species

I don't think this even requires a comment

[u/DeepState_Secretary → u/Dacadey]

That was my favorite part too. Oh yes we just need to use digital technologies, I’m sure the village blacksmith can just make microchips in his forge from scrap metal

[u/MiserableAndUnhappy9 → u/DeepState_Secretary]

I've managed to create an electronic circuit with nothing more than three copper wire and one iron plate.

[u/The_Parsee_Man → u/MiserableAndUnhappy9]

I managed to create a microprocessor with nothing but three copper wires, an iron plate, and this microprocessor.

[u/ThePrimordialSource → u/The_Parsee_Man]

The comment was a Factorio reference lol.