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I think the great divide in this and every other contemporary society is the computer usage among the baby boom generation. That is the difference between being connected — and being “out of it.” I think the great danger is among the young — while for those transitioning into their senior (retirement) years, the computer is a major enabling technology. The greater danger is the old media of passive consumption of television and print — where a few demagogues do all the thinking and talking for everyone.

The Free Republic is a good example of modern participation in the collective dialogues — to whatever extent one is capable of. Of course a few abuse and misuse it — like with any activity, but there is this tendency to throw the baby out with the bath water — while discouraging people from discriminating the difference. When people are incapable of making any “discriminations” for themselves, then they are at the mercy of all the demagogues willing to do all their thinking for them — and telling them exactly and only what to chant and repeat endlessly.

So it is like every good thing — that can become a bad thing — but the worse is not being aware of what in the world is going on. Then one is easily convinced by the media that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (and Tim Walz) are the smartest people running circles around everybody else — and there is nothing beyond.