Imagine waking up to find a superpower in chaos — its digital infrastructure offline, leadership vanished, and citizens organising through decentralized networks. Borders blur, currencies crash, and AI systems scramble to keep vital services running.

Sounds extreme? Maybe. But the collapse of a major government or institution is a classic wild card: low probability, high impact, and utterly transformative. It can reshape how governance works, redefine citizen-state relationships, accelerate digital activism, and force businesses and society to adapt to a new reality.

From the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s to the massive youth-led protests in Nepal in 2025 — which led to the dissolution of parliament and the appointment of a woman interim prime minister — history shows how corruption, digital bans, and economic frustration can ignite systemic change.

What if the old rules don’t apply anymore? New alliances form. Youth demand transparency, new social contracts emerge. IIt can become a blueprint for other nations too.