I can clear that up for you. We are in the absolute worst sort of very shitty parody. Those of us in the US who are sane deserve an Airplane!-caliber parody, and instead we’ve been given Fatal Instinct.

If you consider how the Xeelee Sequence views time travel, you could be right.

Suppose the possibility that time travelers come back in time to change the past, but their enemies can do the same thing. If opposing factions decide to fight in a particular theater of war, their actions will eventually result in a polished, stabilized timeline. It is possible that none of the factions could get what they original wanted from the engagement, but all the countermeasures the factions put in during the battle will prevent any further notable change.

Therefore, we are in a world where anyone who tried to change our present time to what they want most likely didn't succeed. Hence, a shitty parody of the original timeline.

Supplies cannot meet the rising demands.