Hey @clumsysilverdad. That's a really thought provoking point of view. I can relate to your observations. I find myself disconnecting with both the material and the priorities that seem to dominate discourse. As for values... well I feel increasingly isolated in my views and I don't think that's a reflection of me, although it's so hard to accurately self-evaluate.

The us-vs-them is very identifiable and I don't recall the social fabric always being that way. Perhaps we're just in "that part" of a larger cycle that life undergoes. Ends of empires are never clean and I feel we're in a transition out of one and into another right now.

Thanks for your thoughtful contributions as always.