LAst week an interviewer wandered around a U of T campus in AUstin, Texas asking certain historical questions of the students. One out of ten knew who won the Civil War, and another one of ten knew who the Veep was. The rest had no clue, They couldn't say who it was America gained her independence from. But every one of them knew who Brad Pitt was married to and what regular TV show she was on.

We have therefore a two-edged sort. Media bloat is making people stupid about reality. And high-speed wide-spread technology is making it easier and faster for stupid rearms to be fired off. Before the Internet it was considered wise to keep your mouth shut rather than make yourself look bad by saying stupid things. Now, the opposite seems to be the general practice.