We do not trust strangers by default. We do not expect police to protect us or our possessions. We do not expect ambulance to come in time and save your life. We do not expect to get a fair trial. We do not expect schools to teach kids useful things. We do not trust the media. We do not trust anything the government says. We do not expect roads to not have pot holes. We do not expect public transportation to be on time. If this is not living in a decaying society, then I do not know what is.