I think the length of time it has taken for our society to collapse is a testament to the quality of civilization we destroyed (are destroying).

What collapse? Information and science is being preserved; trust is so high that we're all willing to accept numbers in a database as being money; kids are being educated now much better than I was.

Why? I sense assumption that decency at the top is required for society to function.

Counterpoints would be (sadly):

a. most of the history is wars.

b. Slavery was a norm for a very very long time.

c. North Korea.