It seems more like an issue with systems of power without proper maintenance cycles, rather than an issue of lined up delusions. The monarchy functioned reasonably well up until it didn’t, democracy functions reasonably well up until it doesn’t, central planning functions reasonably well until it doesn’t, etc…

Without giving systems of power a proper scrub, they fester, always. Almost exclusively because of gradual entrenchment of third party interests, which is the natural state of sociopolitical systems, unfortunately.