I've spent a lot of time working on declassified documents - and they do get declassified after decades - you look at the record of declassified documents, and they are mostly concerned with keeping what the government does secret from its own population. It's mostly defense of the power system from its own population. Very little is authentic security.

If we move toward the weaponisation of space, we can bid farewell to the planet. The chances of survival are very slight.

No sane human being devotes 100% of his or her life to political activism.

People don't talk to each other. You're alone with your television set or internet. But you can't have a functioning democracy without what sociologists call "secondary organizations," places where people can get together, plan, talk and develop ideas. You don't do it alone.

We're supposed to worship Adam Smith but you're not supposed to read him. That's too dangerous.

There certainly are those who worship the state much as divinities are worshipped. Not just the state but even leaders.

Plainly elites in America don't want democracy. And why should they? Democracy is always harmful to elite interests. Almost by definition.