Thanks again. Lots to digest.

I don't think the "deep state" has infiltrated as much in Canadian politics. If Canadian politicans really want to override the bureaucracy, they can. But American politicians are too distracted to be engaged with as much policy development.

I like your comment about systems: "all have to function together." I feel one mistake of the COVID policy has been to center societal policy around the needs of the ICU wards. It's not hard to see how such emphasis may have caused other citizens not to engage in the more simpler ways of handling COVID.

In other words, we went too far in that first wave. Maybe next pandemic, we'll find the right balance.

I still disagree with you on the fate of the world to transition away from democracy and towards oligarchy. But life in an oligarchy is not as bad as the democratic advocates make it out to be. But one needs to keep their head low.