Even given the dynamics you're describing, the basic idea still makes intuitive sense to me: it's easier to convince someone with a pretty & intuitive simulatio

Even given the dynamics you're describing, the basic idea still makes intuitive sense to me: it's easier to convince someone with a pretty & intuitive simulation than it is without. Your case would require complete rejection of rational arguments by the population. And while I do enjoy indulging in gratuitous negativity from time to time, reality clearly isn't quite as bleak as one may think. As but one example: power generation & distribution are one of the segments of infrastructure that often lead to controversies, but supply has so far managed to remain stable. The optimist might say we're using some slack in the system to take our time to find solutions that might actually better than first drafts. Yet even the pessimist will at least agree that there's still a lot of potential to get worse.