My view on this is that the specific targets of your anxiety (understanding systemic crises) is just something that your mind ginned up from a more general anxiety. At least, that's how it has worked for me in the past, and I think it's supported by the relevant science (not an expert tho). There have been periods in the past when I had a lot of anxiety about my career or personal life, and keeping my brain busy with random articles fed a perceived need to gather knowledge that really boiled down to not wanting to give my mind a quiet mental backdrop on which the thoughts you're anxious about can bubble up. It was only post hoc that my brain would construct some motivation for why I was reading all those articles, and it sounded similar to what you're describing.

This is pretty much the purpose of mindfulness practice: to force this quiet and make you contend with the thoughts actually causing your anxiety. I know this sounds like woo, but it's worth at least trying out mindfulness meditation and getting a keener sense of what concerns you. (And of course, it's entirely possible that you know your own mind and your model is correct. I just thought I'd share similar experiences I've had in the past)