People think things can't change- can't end- because they can't imagine it.
I used to be this way. I once thought the Soviet Union was eternal. It had existed all my life, and I had no reason to think it wouldn't continue to exist long after I was gone.
Then, just like that, it was gone. I learned from that experience. Others don't.
My parents are prime examples.
They simply can't imagine things changing.
To them, a college degree will always be essential for any non-janitorial job. Any exception shown to them is "well, that's just one instance, and it's probably not even true". Even though there are plenty of examples in the family. Both people with well-paying jobs without a college degree, and people with college degrees having no job at all (or a low-paying job that's "beneath them").
They believe the US dollar will always be worth earning and saving. Even though it has already lost nearly all its trade value. When I've said that at some point, it will no longer be worth it to work for any job that pays in dollars, they said I was wrong, and that you'll always have to take dollars, because what else would you do?
At least I was finally able to talk them into diversifying into a couple of other options. Maybe they did see the writing on the wall.
They can't imagine the US government becoming so tyrannical that the people have to start openly defending themselves from it and its employees. They still believe cops are the good guys, even though they know of more examples of the "few bad apples" than the "good" cops. Their desire to believe otherwise is so strong!
They believe America will always be a superpower and the dominant military force on the planet. Tangentially, they believe the Israeli government (they confuse it for the country) is "America's" best ally (again, confusing a government for the country and population), ignoring history for what they wish to be true.
Eventually, the USA will be gone, just like the USSR. I hope America survives the end of the USA, but it may not.
Take nothing for granted. Plan ahead for the unthinkable. Bad guys are planning and plotting; do the same in self-defense.
At their age (or even at mine), there's no guarantee they'll live to see these changes. But the changes are coming. If they aren't here already.
All statists suffer this mindset. They can't imagine life without their god, so they think their god will always reign supreme. That's not guaranteed, though. In fact, the opposite is guaranteed; no one knows the timeframe, though.
