They say there is a great deal of ruin in a nation.....so I agree with you. This low-level civil war will drag on & on for many years, but it will come to fruition some day, of that I am sure.
If you wanted people in the street, take away the internet and social media. We are the most passively entertained people ever. Not sure what would happen if the entertainment flow stopped but I imagine hordes of rotund zombies howling in the streets for their smart phones to work again.
Freegards