>>One very big issue already facing many areas in the US is the fact that there is nobody to raise the money to fix these things; as the “makers” dwindle in number the “takers” certainly have no interest in contributing towards infrastructure improvements (or anything else related to a common good). Even if we don’t “owe” money to aliens, we certainly have nothing but IOUs left to repair this stuff.
We are sliding into a new Dark Age. The infrastructure will continue to crumble. It only gets worse from here because everyone is locked into the old economic paradigms. One day, the power and water will stop flowing 24/7 and it will get.....interesting.
It happens in steps; streets fall into disrepair, nature reclaims abandoned properties, etc.
I don’t see a situation where power and water are shut off, but the coaxing of citizens into urban hives will certainly continue.