Due to inefficient methods of farming comparative to what we have now. They have had large urban areas for thousands of years. Those urban areas were the center of their civilization just as in the Western world it's Athen, Rome, Paris, London etc that were the center of Western civilization. There's nothing about urbanization that leads to civilization decay. It's the opposite.
Again, those cities prospered because they were supported by a large rural sector. China is still largely rural.
Well I disagree they have more time on their hands....when the majority of individuals were farming in rural areas the majority of individuals in industrial town were pulling 14 hour + shifts.
I would argue farmers did as well and continue to, where the city dwellers, not so much anymore. But hey, that was mostly tongue in cheek. Moral decay happens in all established societies.
Sure...I'll give you that but it's not incorrect. Do you honestly think that people eat more if their grouped together? That food output would have to be less if people lived in rural areas? In fact I'd argue the opposite, people would need more calories to farm their own food.
No, I think people eat more when there's an abundance. If the abundance is artificial, and they're borrowing from the future to have the abundance today, I believe that's a problem. Food out put wouldn't change if more folks lived in rural areas - as long as there were more rural areas.
Sure...and what was the impact on a much more rural nation? It doesn't matter where anybody lives. If the midwest dustbowl situation occures it will have a huge impact.
In a exclusively rural system the food production would be distributed across the population and without the need to over-produce to keep the cities alive and well, farming methods, long known, could be employed to prevent the recurrence of dust bowl conditions.
For instance, contour farming is a good moisture lock, but it yields less in the long run.
Can you build a computer from scratch? Can you build a care from scratch? Do you know how build a house from scratch? Specialization is one of the key componants of a modernizing economy. Sure everybody can do their own thing ranchers/farmers and they would have a better chance of surviving some global catosrophe but the country/economy would be drastically different. Urbanization is the result of changing economic factors.
The answer to your first questions is yes, with the exception of this, "Can you build a care from scratch", not sure what that is. But I don't have to of course, because of specialization. However, if the specialists all die off, I'll still know how to build it myself.
I understand the necessity in human society for the city, the urban environment. It makes folks feel safe all huddled together like that. And makes distribution and trade easier, more profitable. What I'm trying to say is that, in order for that urban environment to continue, a larger rural sector must be maintained to support it. Shrink that rural sector too much and eventually the urban environment will fail. There's a balance that needs to be maintained.