I have to wonder how the calculus on this breaks down, because American society continuously tempts mass death and social collapse on a minute by minute basis. Just so the level of convenience remains constant. Readily available consumer goods, drive-thrus, and sports on TV. Those are seen as the markets of a well functioning society and nothing else matters. We'd rather all die than live with even a moment of mandated responsibility. The bourgeoisie would rather work every single person to death than build a stable society. Our imagination has been drained from us to the point we can only imagine two situations, either "normal" or dead.