As Doctorow says, the permanence of these institutions is taken for granted until it starts to unwind - and very quickly downfall becomes obvious and inevitable. It's not obvious to everyone yet, but he's saying it soon will be.

"Hyperstition is a positive feedback circuit including culture as a component. It can be defined as the experimental (techno-)science of self-fulfilling prophecies." https://www.orphandriftarchive.com/articles/hyperstition-an-...