Notes from the edge of civilization: September 15, 2024

Bridges on the brink; shadow security forces replace law enforcement; worrying times for free speech around the world.

A lot of people react to the name of this blog, Collapse Life, with furrowed brows: “Collapse?” they say, “That seems a little extreme.” It’s largely a reaction from the ‘Boomer’ demographic, who have enjoyed 60-plus post-WWII years of prosperity; we’re not envious, laying blame, or otherwise disparaging their providence. But for anyone who thinks collapse is something out of a bad Hollywood disaster movie, it’s probably time to rethink your worldview.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) recently analyzed data from the Department of Transportation (DOT) National Bridge Inventory and found that more than one-third of all US bridges require major repair work or replacement. Of the nearly 221,800 bridges that need work, 42,067 are rated in “poor condition” and classified as “structurally deficient.”

To be less diplomatic, poor condition is polite engineer speak for ‘one step from a viral YouTube collapse video.’

Nearly three years after the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) became law, ARTBA found that states have only committed less than half of the $15.9 billion in federal resources earmarked for bridge projects. Still, even if all the funds had been allocated, ARTBA estimates it would cost over $400 billion to make all the needed repairs.

Apparently some states are making progress — Pennsylvania and Louisiana are actually fixing more bridges than they’re losing — but others, like New York and Kentucky, are adding to the tally of bridges you might want to avoid. Check out the digital report to find out how your state fares in terms of bridge health. (Iowans be warned — your state ranks at the top of the list of bridges needing repair.)

Most bridges get inspected every two years, so by the time anyone notices the badly rusted rivets, sagging decks, and missing chunks of structural concrete and rebar, you might already be stuck in traffic on one of those ticking time bombs. Drive carefully — It’s not just an engineering disaster, but a humanitarian one, too.

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The rise of private security forces highlights another area where public infrastructure is falling short. With government budgets stretched thin, essential services — from maintaining safe roadways to ensuring community security — are increasingly being offloaded onto private companies.

In both cases, the gaps left by underfunded public systems are being filled by private entities with varying degrees of oversight and accountability, raising concerns about safety and effectiveness.

A recent exposé by John P. Ruehl, a fellow at the Independent Media Institute, chronicles the rise of private security companies (PSCs), which now often outnumber police forces by a factor of 3 to 2.

Today, private security has a global presence, providing services ranging from bouncers and bodyguards to crowd control units and specialized armed teams. PSCs are generally cheaper than using police forces, and the widespread adoption of surveillance and other technologies has increasingly leveled the playing field.

However, private personnel primarily serve as a visible deterrent, discouraging crime through their presence rather than direct intervention. They are often focused on monitoring and patrolling, which can divert criminal activity rather than resolve it. As the demand for private security grows, debate continues over their role and broader societal impact.

The story notes examples like Idaho’s Caldwell School District, which recently ditched its police contract in favor of a PSC. This shift is part of a broader trend within the $248 billion global private security market, where PSCs fill gaps in law enforcement with services ranging from armed guards to surveillance. As governments continue to struggle with funding and staffing their own forces, PSCs step in — often with fewer regulations, which leads to concerns about their influence, potential conflicts of interest, and the broader implications for public safety.

PSCs have become ubiquitous worldwide. From Latin America to Africa, Eastern Europe to Asia, these firms fill the gaps left by under-resourced and sometimes corrupt public security forces. In Latin America, over 16,000 firms employ more than 2 million people. Eastern Europe has seen a boom in PSCs after the fall of military regimes and the rise of capitalism, with private security often filling roles traditionally held by the police. In Africa, the lines between PSCs and private military companies blur as these firms take on quasi-military tasks, driven by localized instability and security voids. And across Europe, PSCs are stepping into roles from managing Olympic security in France to addressing Europe’s migrant crisis, often prioritizing private interests over public needs.

As private security becomes increasingly entrenched in both public and private spaces worldwide, concerns grow over their influence, regulation, and the impact of turning safety into a commodity rather than a public good. With the bridge between public need and private provision growing wider, the question remains: how long can we rely on patchwork fixes before the whole structure comes crashing down?

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The proposed “Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Act,” introduced by Australia’s left-leaning Labor Party, aims to regulate digital speech, ostensibly to protect citizens from harm. This is yet another sign Australia appears to be the test bed for Western democratic governments tightening their grip on power under the guise of protection.

Reclaim the Net describes the intent of the new legislation:

It would give the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) the right to monitor online platforms and enforce new codes or standards on the industry – in case their actions are seen as inadequate under the “self-regulating voluntary” rules.

So much for the “voluntary” component of the narrative (also to be found in various EU directives). Long story short, in Australia with the new proposal of the bill – if tech platforms are found to be in breach of it, they will be fined the equivalent of 5% of their global revenue.

“This is not about individual pieces of content, it’s not about the regulator being able to act on those, it’s about the platforms doing what they said they’ll do,” [Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland] is quoted as saying.

In other words, platforms better self-censor (the exact same sentiment behind all those “voluntary codes”) – to save the Australian government the grief of openly censoring them instead.

Critics like Senator Alex Antic warn the bill could have chilling effects on free speech, suggesting that the quest to control narratives online mirrors the privatization of security — both are moves that shift power away from the public and into the hands of the few, whether they be private corporations or governmental bodies.

“Safety can’t be used as a Trojan horse for cracking down on free speech,” Antic said in a video posted to X. “It certainly looks to me to be very worrying times for free speech.”

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Meanwhile in America, a June 2024 poll from Vanderbilt University found large majorities of Americans passionately uphold free speech as a cornerstone of democracy. But fewer support free speech when faced with specific controversial speakers or topics.

In other words, we love free speech — until we realize our opponents have it, too.

In this week’s Collapse Life podcast, investigative journalist

Paul D. Thacker

returned to join host Zahra Sethna in conversation on a range of subjects including censorship, free speech, and the partisan state of American journalism and social media.

One of the most important things he reminds us is what makes America’s enshrined rights and freedoms so important. Thacker says: “The First Amendment isn't there to protect things that people like. It's there to protect the things that the people don't like. That's why you have to have a law about it.”

We all seem to be missing that point. The free marketplace of ideas is disappearing to our great detriment and all of us need to recognize the subtle undermining that’s taking place under the guise of safety and protection. Click below to read the full story and watch the interview.

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