As always, you have delivered an intelligent, thoughtful, and well-researched article, @agmoore. And there are so many points worth responding to! I'll just pick a few.

Reicher thinks this analysis of 'mob' behavior is wrong. From his research he has concluded that members of a crowd don't feel anonymous, but gain strength from a sense of shared purpose with those around them. People in a crowd, such as a protest, act not just for themselves, but for a cause and for members of their group.

I believe in this wholeheartedly. And I think (or hope) it's possible that there is a time coming when people on "both sides" in this country will come together in resistance to leadership that is not about the people, not about their well-being, and not about ensuring the cost of living is under control, or that rights and freedoms are preserved, or the underprivileged served... or anything else that truly matters.

The time in recent history when we all should have come together under a common purpose was the pandemic. But the rhetoric divided us, along with the questioning of science and purposeful distrust of facts. And the pandemic itself divided us. We are living in a time when ideologies clash and there's no single source of truth to help people sort out what's real. "News" is often rhetoric and intentionally altered messaging. And I also think that certain media outlets purposefully fan the flames of outrage, because it draws people in and makes them feel united under a cause. I'm possibly rambling. But the bottom line is that what resonates with me about this article is that the divisiveness of of this regime has been unrelenting. But perhaps there is a turning point on the horizon, as many who remained loyal under seemingly impossible odds finally wake to the notion that their needs are not being addressed. And the promises are not being kept. I just hope it's not too late.