QuoteBut one that, as a signal of collapse, is defined, and would be undeniable. As compared to the relative, insignificant and imagined ones invented on the internet. I don't know WHY those who, for some reason, REALLY REALLY want to say it is happening. Jim Jones and Ugo snd Gail and Catton demonstrate this regularly. Not so much anymore, and with a far smaller audience is my bet.
No, consider the black death in Europe's middle ages. A lot of people died but the continuity of civilization continued so you can't call it collapse.
The problem is that your thinking is logically flawed. Collapse is when something existing (civilization) ceases to exist. Collapse is the absence of what was. Attempting to define something that does not exist is a logical can of worms. Collapse does not exist. Collapse is when something existing ceases to exist, and defining what that something is means different things to different people. There is a threshold problem. Different strokes for different folks. Our criteria varies.
Defining a state of non-existence using the vocabulary of existence is not so easy to do.