This article evoked memories of living through the dissolution of the USSR, an experience characterized by gradual deterioration rather than a single cataclysmic event.
Each day brought new disheartening news and incremental decline, until eventually reaching a tipping point where the cumulative weight of issues overwhelmed the entire social structure, causing it to unravel.
Looking back, what was most interesting was how effortlessly one could acclimate to a new status quo amidst mounting challenges. As long as issues accumulated at a pace manageable enough for adaptation, individuals would readily embrace alterations in their lives and continue onward. This widespread phenomenon served to stifle any substantial efforts aimed at halting the descent into decline.
It’s the whole emperor’s new clothes phenomenon.