I realised Civilisation was falling when ......

[Hydromet]

As suggested by Fox3

I realised Civilisation was falling when the local bakery stopped selling steak & kidney pies.

[OneHungLow]

I realised Civilisation was falling/failing when our local pub stopped serving jellied eels with beer and offered white wine and quiche instead!

Actually I like both of those morsels.

[bob2s]

Hydro, our local bakery still sells steak & kidney pies along with about 12 other varieties and they taste bloody good too.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I realised Civilisation was falling when ...

..you couldn't fill in a form honestly and expect any bureaucracy to deal with the incongruities and self-contradictions in their own questions (1999).
I told them what they wanted to hear from then on.

..one agency of government changed the rules to insist something was required whilst another changed the rules to ban it (2002)

..when 12 year olds, of average ability, and without help from adults, could work out that government policy was logically insane (2002)

..one was required to take courses where one knew far more than the deliverer (2003)

...and the killer was working out that I could get more achieved by doing everything myself, rather than earning doing what I was best at and paying another specialist to do the other jobs (2003)
Because specialisation is the principal, indeed the defining, characteristic of a civilisation.

..and yes, I make my own pies too!

..and beer..and wine.

You can keep the eels.




..

[Hydromet]

I realised Civilisation was falling when ...
.
.
..one was required to take courses where one knew far more than the deliverer (2003)
..

I've delivered courses like that! Learned a lot...sometimes.

[OFSO]

France almost won last night, but then didn't.

[Dushan]

... when old men with diminished mental capacity are "elected" to run the most powerful country in the world (2020).

... when narcissistic young men with great hair and funny socks are elected to run a once prominent world leader country (2015, 2019, 2021)

[Smeagol]

... when ALL politicians are seen to be unelectable and the only alternative is, 'none of the above'.

[llondel]

... when ALL politicians are seen to be unelectable and the only alternative is, 'none of the above'.

+1