Ruling Principle: Petty Self-absorption

What you need to understand recent world history is the fact it's driven by very smart, very talented individual actors competing with each other over tiny spoils for social-status reasons. Hierarchy is real and the high ground is seized by individuals. 

Due to the black government structure, nobody can stop individual bad actors from taking what they want - aside from the competition from other bad actors. Result: tragedy of the commons. Black government results in balkanization, shattering the hill into a Byzantine labyrinth.

E.g. Q: Why is nuclear power a form of heresy? 

Is it 'ideology'? Dopamine cycles, addiction? NPCs? Status signalling getting out of hand? The inevitable degeneracy of Democratic Man? (((Nanotechnology))?

A: Greenpeace is funded by Saudi Arabia, and nuclear-fired plants compete with oil-fired plants. That's it. Petty, venal, but, ultimately, it worked as intended.
The world irresponsibly allowed others to make its energy decisions on its behalf, therefore the Sauds seized the decision-making gatekeeper. Very intelligent.
Very self-absorbed. Very short-sighted.

Q: Why is fracking considered heresy?
A: Saudi Arabia...

Q: Why is coal mining so gauche in America?
A: Saudi Arabia... (That and class warfare, by which I mean sadistic spitefare.)

Just follow the money and you can safely assume whoever's pocket is being lined did it on purpose.

They don't need the money. They already own a whole country. They're bored and pick fights to palliate ennui. They involve money merely to keep score. Their opponents could secure themselves and get on with millennium projects (pyramids, cathedrals) but they're just as bored and thus welcome the conflict. Deliberately show weakness to try to seize the defender's advantage.

But, due the black government structure, in fact, no, they can't secure themselves. The walls and towers would be seized by bad (worse) actors because they plain want it more, and turned against their builders in one way or another. Long-term thinking in this environment is unmitigated stupidity. Which is why these very smart, very talented protagonists don't even attempt it. 

Problem: pointless conflict is pointless. It's an addictive drug. Even if you win, it only reinforces the ennui. If you lose, it's like paying for a hit but your dealer doesn't even put out...

They're smart and talented, but only on the tiny human scale. At best they can see into the midterm, even under a defect-negative structure. "Having a black government in the first place is bad actually," is far too complex and deep. Well beyond their talents and gifts.

 

Don't try to "fix" black government. Its oppressed masses deserve it. Interrupting Gnon's justice is unholy, dishonourable, and irresponsible. Instead, secure yourself against it, which is what Gnon recognizes as a humble prayer for mercy. 

P.S. I think there's an esoteric correlation. Hard radiation is cleansing and thus probably sacred. Most folks are radiation-deficient to the point where all-cause mortality is almost doubled. Hence, as profane Satanists, they have an instinctive revulsion for clean, safe nuclear power. This venal, petty lobby won over the others because they plain wanted it more. The nuclear lobby can't muster the energy because they hate having the divine on their side. Would rather quit, and did. Working as intended.

See also: the sanctifying power of the sun bomb. Even having the holy hand-sanitizing grenade around gives them hives.