It's how empires die. You can read about the same thing happening in Rome. Just like today, some of it is so ridiculous it sounds like satire

I take consolation in the fact that we're speed running the process... Our system has been broken a long time, it'll feel painfully slow but we're likely to see the day when we can begin to build something better

Hear hear! I see that desperately needed grassroots work being done in small pockets everywhere! It truly starts with us, and I still have the radical hope that it can be done in my lifetime - to spread sustainable practices and reap the benefits for the next generation. They're gonna need all the help they can get surviving on this planet. It's not worth scrapping; it's worth saving!

To be fair, a lot of that feeling is due to us having more information, delivered more quickly. I watched a history video recently on the rampant corruption during Ulysses S Grant's presidency. It led to a lot of reform to prevent it happening again.

The video used it as a silver lining to show the US can come back from the bullshit currently happening. Not sure I agree. I've lost my faith in not just the government, but at least half of my fellow citizens and am planning my exit. But you know, the point remains.