| Reasons of Self | - We are not truly ourselves online. Personality does not communicate itself in the same way through email or a discussion forum as it does through face-to-face, in-person discussion.
| | | Reasons of Society | - It's not television that's the problem; it's the programming and the impact of its artificiality on actual life. It isn't the Internet; it's the World Wide Web, which offers easily accessible, attractive, and stimulating confirmation of any notion or bias one has and so both deceives and drains curiosity. It isn't the smart phone; it's using it to limit human contact to a select group and as a social barrier to in-person engagement.
| | | Reasons of Culture | - The electronic portrayal of our situation is grim and apocalyptic. The money-making Internet players reward extremism and obfuscate or ignore content lacking the click triggers that enrich them or get them votes. Television coverage of people getting together over potluck to work through their differences puts less money in the bank than closeups of a couple dozen rioters with soundbites and camera-ready signs.
| | | Reasons of State | - Not a democracy but a federal republic, the United States of America nevertheless uses the democratic process to elect citizen-representatives and officials to public office, where they become free agents. After voting, the citizen has no control over the elected official, and no influence other than protest or persuasion.
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| | | Reasons of Economy | - A successful economy working through a meritocracy-driven free market system must value and reward proven ideas over ideologies or personalities.
- Particularly in public finance, the mission of applying the best ideas to public concerns at the best costs, should not be compromised by ideological or political influence.
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