corrupt and tyrannical politicians
and
the breakdown of family life
sounds a bit like the Fall of Rome
There is a book out there called something like “The Rise and Fall of All Great Powers” that highlights the common themes in the fall of the great world powers. I want to say it was written in the 90’s.
Fascinating book. The first 200 pages of Jacques Barzun’s “500 Years of Western Civilization” is can’t miss. An eighth grader could understand Barzun, but his observations are seismic.