> most lived at subsistence levels with starvation always at their doorstep
Genuine question: is this something we know from evidence, or an assumption? I vaguely recall having read that comparison between skeletal remains of early farmers and hunter-gatherers indicated that the latter had a better diet, but I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly or how much that observation generalizes.
> most lived at subsistence levels with starvation always at their doorstep
I find this hilarious. Modern civilization has starvation at our doorstep. If the modern supply chains fail, so very many would starve.
Did toilet paper become scarce about 5 years ago? I don't see what protects the population from that for food and water.
Both early farmers and hunter-gatherers regularly endured calorie scarcity. The difference between them along this dimension is minor compared to the difference between either group and us and our calorie security.