How do you recognize failed societies?
When the Russian writer Anton Chekhov was asked about the nature of failed societies, he answered:
There are a thousand fools for every rational mind and a thousand foolish words against every thoughtful word. The majority remain foolish always, and the wise are consistently overwhelmed. If you see trivial topics dominating discussions in a society, and insignificant people taking center stage, you are talking about a very failed society.
For example, meaningless songs and lyrics find millions of people dancing and repeating them, and the owner of the song becomes famous and beloved. People take their opinions on community and life matters…
As for writers and authors, nobody knows them, and no one values or respects them. Most people love triviality and sedation. A person who sedates us to obscure our minds, and a person who makes us laugh with nonsense, is better than a person who wakes us to reality and hurts us with the truth… Therefore, democracy does not work for ignorant societies, because it is the ignorant majority that will decide your fate.