I think the theory is more that everything ends eventually. Even democracies can produce political and economic collapse. And there are examples of long-lastin

I think the theory is more that everything ends eventually. Even democracies can produce political and economic collapse. And there are examples of long-lasting dictatorships (Cuba, North Korea, etc.) that are still surviving with economies and technology far less advanced than China. I think the scary reality is that throughout history a small percentage of a population has frequently been able to hold power over even millions of people for multiple generations. And unfortunately, there does seem to be "economies of scale" in this where only adding technology and a few more people to the power structure can dictate power over an increasing number of people. That said, it's easy to see the faults in other countries and I'm sure the diverse group of readers at HN can find similar instances of this power structure in their own countries.