Podcast Episode Details

Novueval Times, the Collapse of America, cultivating a coping mindset

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Season 7 Episode 10

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thearcheologist.org
Economic Troubles:

• Inequality and Overspending:  When wealth concentrates in the hands of a few, the majority of the population can suffer.  This economic disparity can breed resentment and social unrest.  The decline of the Roman Republic is partly attributed to the widening gap between rich and poor.
• Unsustainable Practices:  Empires that prioritize short-term gain over long-term sustainability can sow the seeds of their own destruction.  Deforestation, soil depletion, and poor water management can all contribute to economic decline.

Internal Decay:

• Corruption and Ineffective Leadership:  Leaders who prioritize self-interest over the well-being of their citizens can erode public trust and weaken the fabric of society.  The later Roman emperors are often cited as examples of corrupt leadership that contributed to the empire's downfall.
• Social Cohesion:  A strong sense of shared identity and purpose is essential for a society to thrive.  If social divisions deepen and trust breaks down, a society can become vulnerable to internal conflict.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
...inherited wealth differs by perhaps ten orders of magnitude from the poorest individuals to the wealthiest elites.

A facilitator of this inequality was the rise of state civilizations 5000 years ago and their subsequent cycles of integration and dissolution. In prehistory, the likely prerequisites for the origins of state societies include intensified agriculture, which not only supported larger populations of increasingly diverse specializations, but also the unequal access to resources that gave rise to inherited wealth inequalities and status hierarchies.

bbc.com
Globally, the richest 1% own almost half of the world's wealth, while the bottom half possess around 0.75%. Climate change today is unprecedented and an order of magnitude faster than the warming which caused the worst mass-extinction event in the planet's history. Six of the nine key Earth systems that the world relies on have been pushed into a high-risk zone. While conflict between economic elites has helped drive polarisation and distrust within many countries.

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Published on 1 month, 1 week ago