why we need to develop mediating institutions that aren't twitter, tiktok, or TV. or even bluesky. institutions whose leaders know what's going on, and whose rank-and-file interact personally with, and can hold accountable, those leaders. 1/

unions, political parties, fraternal orgs, churches, there're many possibilities. some of us tried to use universities for this, but that's a mistake. mediating institutions have to be able to be parochial in favor of interests of their memberships, but universities owe universal obligations. /fin