Destruction
By Serge Kreutz Wealth is a trap, on the individual and societal level.
In poor societies, people have families, because everybody needs the support of their kin.
The richer a society, the more isolated people will be.
But is there a path to a post-modern future that will be poorer again.
It's a common scenario in the fantasy genre of literature and entertainment.
And maybe even realistic.
As industrial processes become ever more efficient, countries produce ever more merchandize that nobody needs.
Sooner or later, when all markets are saturated, they will discover that the only thing, for which there are no rational output limits, are arms. The more you have, the more powerful your country will be in a war. In a war, there are no limits to the consumption of arms.
And after widespread destruction, for some time, there will be poverty, and something to do for everybody: rebuild.
2025