Obviously it needs to go higher so that the fall is harder

The rules do not apply unless forced upon them. They have exploited the American Freedom mindset to the fullest

Democracy requires public commitment, but people will always choose what benefits them in the shortest expanse at the cost of long term benefits.

When the ancient greeks who layed the groundwork can pinpoint the cycle to a fault, isn’t that a sign of a system that is dubious at best in its performance?

Bold of you to assume these old people even engage with the business they claim to own.

I’m pretty sure if Germany is anything to go by, it could be raining bombs from the sky and the people would still think that voting matters.

That’s a fate worse than death. Imagine turning a literal zombie moose and you’re corpse is being piloted for political gain of your subordinate parasites.

The Black Plague was first recorded 1330s in China long before it began its migration to the West. However, you were right in the aspect that China in general had a strong administrative and bureaucratic base which allows coordinating disaster relief efforts.

Plus, the advantage of having rice means they could afford to feed citizenry very well in most cases.

Also, China as we know it today didn’t exactly exist, but it’s better to understand and obeserve the various polities that came and went during the centuries. Each would have different circumstances and administrative power in combating disasters as they happened.

I reckon more than a few people there would be incentivised to play catch up and start avery fast paced industrial revolution.

Certain advancements were only enabled because of catastrophe and that the surviving population rebounded. Had Old World diseases not struck the New World, I reckon a plague would’ve hit at some point anyhow.

Corporate Serfs is the word you may be looking for

Kleptocracy in motion. That’s what it is.

And depending on who you ask, most keep an eyepatch and pirate hat always on standby for these kind of things.

Many are going to get put off by the inevitable 2000 dollar price tag and decide to build a half decent old PC rig for pirate games.

Today it’s games and movies. Tomorrow it’s something actually important and they’ll rent us an apology for a terminal illness and nothing else.