The easiest way to control a population is to convince people that their neighbor is the enemy. Left vs. right. Red vs. blue. Liberal vs. conservative. Pick a team. Defend it. Attack the other side. Meanwhile, almost everyone arguing with each other has far more in common with one another than they do with the people who hold disproportionate wealth, power, and influence. That’s the trick. Keep people fighting horizontally so they never question what’s happening vertically. When your political identity becomes part of your ego, you stop evaluating ideas individually. You defend your side when it’s wrong and attack the other side even when it’s right. That isn’t independent thinking. Real critical thinking means being willing to criticize both sides, agree with either side when the evidence warrants it, and refuse to outsource your worldview to a political tribe. A divided population is easier to influence. And the moment politics becomes “us vs. them,” somebody benefits from ...