It was written in the context of there already being a popular book about kids stranded on an island rebuilding civilisation in the image of the British Empire. It's a genre subversion.
Oh, it'll be easy: "Once their opponent dissolved, a portion of the US elite convinced themselves that 'history is over' and, being unopposed, they no longer needed to cultivate soft power and can simply seize whatbthey want outright."
The framing device for the whole movie is that they're searching the wreck to find a priceless necklace, and bring along an old woman, who had it when the ship sank, to help them. She then tells them her story, moves them into abandoning the search, and in the end it's revealed she had it the whole time when she throws it overboard.
Some people have just gotten used to their own shoulders.