SigMT

one world, the online/media world filled with elites, we see troubling trends. In this world, our 'beers,' whether twenty-something talking heads on the news or the employees of giant tech companies, tell us what to think and, more importantly, suggest that those of us who disagree are not just wrong but evil. is is a world of anger and conformity, the land of 'cancel culture.' In the real world, where we actually live, most of us generally get along. is world is oen filled with really nice people (especially in Great Falls!) who, if they care about another's political persuasion at all, don't seem to show it much. When you pass someone in the grocery store and smile, do you wonder if that person is a Democrat? If someone calls you at work, do you think, "If this lady voted for Trump, I'm going to hang up on her?" e 'elite world' is fake and hypocritical. ese people don't care about you. ey force everything into a false dichotomy of right v. le. And there is no political disagreement anymore; there is only good versus evil. Policy decisions are framed as moral choices. e other side of the aisle is not just wrong, but despicable—a bad human being. And think how many ways they are treated differently than us. ey party without masks imposing rules on your children. ey lie under oath. ey never seem to be called to account, do they? Is that a productive way for us to live? Does that serve anyone but the elites? And let's be honest. Our so-called leaders aren't exactly hiing the ball out of the park. ey overspend their revenue by a trillion dollars a year, and THIS is what we get? Division, shortages, class warfare, and chaos? ese are the people who presume to tell you how to live your life. In the real world, most people will help you if you need it. My experience is that most people are more honest than political leaders, more honest than the media voices they hear and read. I know many Democrats. Many are my friends or, at worst, friendly. I can talk to these people. More important, I can disagree with them and still like them. e paradigm that has been created and magnified in this country is about division: you versus them. Social media works to divide you. Meanwhile, while you're shouting at your neighbors, the elite political media and corporate leaders get richer and richer. ink about it. On the one hand, there are people who, at best, look down on you or, more likely, despise you. ey desire to manipulate you to further their own ends, for power or money. On the other hand, there are the people you see every day. e people you break bread with, or maybe get a lile help from when it comes time to shovel your walk. Of course, there are still policy differences. Odds are, though, if you have a meal with someone you disagree with, there might be some compromise. Hell, there might be some consensus. W ho are the beer people? W ho will solve the problems? Live in the world– that you live in. SIGNATURE MONTANA | THE LAST WORD WE LIVE IN WORLDS TWO IN By Gregg Smith S MT SIGNATURE MONTANA | 103

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