Do we really want our world to be one big market with patents on human genes and plants and the Boom Economy taking place where wages are the lowest. All in the name of shareholder's profits. As an older citizen I recall a time when there was employment waiting for every student when they left school. Paying our taxes was accepted, serving on a jury was a privilege and helping a poorer neighbour was a duty. The world has gone mad.
Nobody helps anyone anymore because they are afraid to.
Personal risk always must come first for the average citizen. Lawsuits and the fear of being sued have also made people fearful. You are right about today's world being different from yours. I hardly think the world is dying or dead just because our society is changing. Societies all over the world are in a constant state of flux and they always have been.