Guess we’ll just have to try again in the west

China

Here’s an article to answer your second paragraph. https://www.marxists.org/subject/economy/authors/yaffed/1972/mtccs/index.htm

https://github.com/dessalines/essays/blob/master/paul_cockshott_cyber_communism.md

Nah, the boom bust cycle happens due to the contradictions inherent to capitalism. They are speeding up because the contradictions get sharper as capitalism progresses. Marx developed this understanding 200 years ago, check it out:

“When the expansion of production outruns its profitability, when existing conditions of exploitation preclude a further profitable capital-expansion or what amounts to the same thing, an increase of accumulation does not increase the mass of surplus-value or profits, an absolute over-accumulation has occurred and the accumulation process comes to a halt. This interruption of the accumulation or its stagnation constitutes the capitalist crisis. It represents an overproduction of capital with respect to the degree of exploitation. From the point of view of profitability at this stage, existing capital is at the same time too small and too large. It is too large in relation to the existing surplus-value and it is not large enough to overcome the lack of surplus-value. Capital has only been over-produced in relation to profitability. This is not a material overproduction for the world in this respect is undercapitalised [73]. This stresses once again the central contradiction between the commodity as a use-value and as an exchange-value, between production for use and that for profit.” https://www.marxists.org/subject/economy/authors/yaffed/1972/mtccs/mtccs3.htm

That looks like mine but a lot more yellow, probably a chicken of the woods.

You picked the fruit but the infection is still eating the heartwood of the tree:

Common Questions About Berkeley’s Polypore How do I get rid of Bondarzewia berkeleyi?

Nothing works to get rid of the fungus pathogen in the tree. Fungicides don’t work. You can remove the fruiting body of the mushroom, but that does nothing to prevent the mycelium from sprouting new growth in following years. Keeping the tree healthy can prolong its life but eventually it will probably succumb. https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/berkeleys-polypore.html

This seems like a good match, this higher angle photo shows the rosette style growth they are apparently known for: