An unserious, satiated public has come to value entertainment more than anything else. The decline in daily, personal insecurity has led to a search for silly grievances concocted out of thin air and the identification of "others" to take the blame. Media follow the audience, especially when outlets increased exponentially and the moderating effect of pipeline scarcity disappeared years ago. The conditions under which our form of government would fail (attributed to Madison) seem to have been met.

My wife (fluent in Quebec French) and I considered relocation to Canada 10 years ago, when my skill set was in demand there. We didn't go because of the tariffs that would be imposed on some of our physical assets and the effort needed to sell them here and replace them there, to avoid paying tariffs. Now, in retirement, it's too late. Being an expat always involves some regret, but it seems to me that peace and hope for the future lies outside the USA.