Societies have always collapses. Except they don't really collapse. People drive them into the ground. The Romans did it. Now we are. People who are never going to make 400 million a year vote against taxing people who do. Just in case. People who don't have health care vote against it. So the immigrants don't get more for free.

One day, when we're all dead and the planet is trying to recover from the damage we did to it, a radio transmitter laying in the desert will crackle. There will be a voice calling out to us. Finally. Earth, are you there? And there will be no one left to answer.