The Titanic was doomed to sink. Surely the musicians had nothing better to do than to continue playing until the end. To wait for the unavoidable. Of course, they could stop playing and try to save their lives. They knew they wouldn’t have a boat but there was always the alternative to stop playing and be creative. I now see that this is a bad metaphor for intellectuals, because musicians had no direct influence on the operation of the boat. Yet intellectuals have the capacity to influence society. Intellectuals to the Empire are more like part of the crew of the boat. Thus citizens in a sinking state are more like musicians. They are more helpless in the face of the ship’s operation, who in the tragedy have no choice but to pass the time as best they can, thus waiting for the inevitable or trying to save their lives.
But the question arises: Whose task is it to save what can be saved from the ship? What should be done? And the intellectuals? What role do they play?

I found this RT interview. Here Johan suggests in its last part some do´s as USA contradictions get harder. May be the life saver in the sinking state, may be (at least some do´s) for other sinking states as well.