The conversation that no one wants to have is that American society is in a similar process of collapse, and conspiratorial thinking is only gaining traction because no one trusts that the state holds the general interest anymore. The real social challenge to overcome is government legitimacy.

If in our time conspiracies are perpetuated because of for-profit incentives, it is only because profit is what our society is structured around at a fundamental level. When the time for collapse has come, it brings itself into being by means of any and all existing institutions.

EDIT: and for the record, it's not about cognitive biases either. No one here has a real historical perspective.

Americans have become too comfortable with their everyday sadism.

China "won" before the game even began for the simple fact of them being a very late developer. Development is not even guaranteed as a consequence of industrialization anymore; see premature deindustrialization. No misinformation needed, just cold hard historical laws.

If I was under constant threat of rape or murder, I would do anything to get to a situation that I thought might be less dangerous.

I hear exactly what you are saying, clear as day.