ABSTRACT
Diamond suggests a number of lessons that we can learn from societies that have collapsed. First, we need to take environmental problems seriously. They have dragged down societies in the past and are doing so today. Second, pay attention to the behaviour of the elite. If they are able to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions (as the Maya kings did), there will be an inadequate response to crises until it is too late. Diamond argues that, in the US, Europe and Japan, politicians are often insulated and even their population act like a gated community that is insulated from impacts in the Third World.
