Managed‑Antagonism Equilibrium

Institutional networks and activist/revolutionary networks can enter a stable, mutually dependent loop where institutions require crisis to justify budgets and expansion, while activist groups require institutional cover to survive; together they create a self‑sustaining 'managed antagonism' that neutralizes reality as a corrective. The loop functions without conspiracy: organizational incentives and career paths select actors who can operate inside the equilibrium. — If widespread, this pattern explains why crises persist, why accountability stalls, and why policy responses reproduce rather than solve underlying problems—altering how reformers should target incentive and procedural architecture.