How (not) to end up in the ash heap of history. KEY TAKEAWAYS By Eli Dourado A society does not ever die ‘from natural causes,’ but always dies from suicide or murder—and nearly always from the former.” — D. C. Somervell. 1 Àpropos of nothing, I have found myself wondering recently what it would be like to live through a collapse. Would I see it coming? What would be the signs? A number of times in human history, a society has gone from a relatively high level of sociopolitical complexity to a much lower one—rapidly, within the span of a few decades. … Continue reading A beginner’s guide to sociopolitical collapse