Conspiracy and blame versus people taking responsibility for their own influence on the world around them.

I tend to think, for the most part, that ordinary people and culture are the cause of most of our problems; for instance car addiction leading to climate change, versus conspiracy of oil companies.

I know that it's both conspiracy and mass behavior of people that lead to our problems, but I tend to emphasize the people aspect.

Other folks find conspiracy, whether it's conservatives blaming everything on Biden or liberals blaming corporations.

During my high school years, the Watergate Scandal was unfolding. Before that, scandals were less in the news. Yes, people did blame government and business for things and there were conspiracy theories; such as the speculation about the Kennedy assassination.

Since Watergate, it seems like conspiracy and finger pointing has shifted into high gear. It seems like everything is a conspiracy these days. Institutions have less respect.

When I was growing up, it seemed like people had more respect for institutions and folks considered experts in our society. Scientists were more respected; for instance.

Now we hear conservatives speak of scientists, supposedly, being bought off by wealthy promoters of the climate change myth. Liberals talk of climate change deniers financed by the fossil fuel industry.

Trump has been a big fan of conspiracy talk, blaming things on Biden, Harvard elitists, Obama, George Soros and so forth.

These days, I do find it interesting that so many of Trump's MAGA supporters are now disappointed in the Trump Administration's attempts to quiet talk about the Jeffry Epstein case.

During Watergate, I remember, as the Watergate hearings were televised, that one of Nixon's aids testified before the Senate committee that the laws, which broken, were no big deal. He compared them to traffic violations.

I remember thinking, at the time, that reckless driving can lead to death, so, on a small scale, mere traffic rules can be important.

When someone is in government, the consequences of bad action is amplified to even more significance; for instance possibly killing thousands in a war, versus just a handful of people. I came up with the phrase, "power amplifies."

While blame can be laid on institutions and those in high places of power, I also think that the people, ourselves, the people in mass are also to blame for the problems.