The last blog I wrote dealt with the media, bloggers, pundits, politicians battering us with material that enrages us, then spinning us around and smacking our butts to go off and be viral marketeers.  Nothing new there, but what is new is the constant presence of the message in the information age.  A lot of the response was that anger is a good motivator for change, to get people angry and spirited so they can get out there and fix stuff, so a purpose is served. I...

     The question early on was whether we were going to be aware, smart Americans governing ourselves, or the mob, governed by the elite.  Jeffersonian, Federalist, yadda yadda.  The simple like a Czar, or perhaps the fearful would be more accurate.  Classicalist ideals expected a highly educated, aware population to be, well, classical.  We shall all don our togas and go to the local forum to debate politics and manage ourselves.  It doesn&rs...