The two are connected. Western civilians were willing to overlook the crimes of their governments against the world and themselves as long as they were provided a comfortable living. As, for example, Roosevelt found out, if you allow a whole generation to grow in impoverished conditions, seeing the injustices perpetrated daily on their parents, their communities, their country, and the rest of the world, they grow up to become radicalized and revolutionaries. This time, however, the Western governments have no third world to exploit to bribe the masses, hence they are eating each other. As Rosa Luxembourg said, the inevitable outcome will be socialism or barbarism.
Basically, there comes an inflection point where the cost of maintaining the empire outstrips the plunder. When that starts happening then the core of the empire becomes hollowed out, and this is what we’re seeing happening today.
The two are connected. Western civilians were willing to overlook the crimes of their governments against the world and themselves as long as they were provided a comfortable living. As, for example, Roosevelt found out, if you allow a whole generation to grow in impoverished conditions, seeing the injustices perpetrated daily on their parents, their communities, their country, and the rest of the world, they grow up to become radicalized and revolutionaries. This time, however, the Western governments have no third world to exploit to bribe the masses, hence they are eating each other. As Rosa Luxembourg said, the inevitable outcome will be socialism or barbarism.
Basically, there comes an inflection point where the cost of maintaining the empire outstrips the plunder. When that starts happening then the core of the empire becomes hollowed out, and this is what we’re seeing happening today.