Robert Putnam

Do we know how to do that? And the answer is we sure do. We know how to, for example, there are networks that are that are internet-based for neighborhoods. And it's easy to contact the other people. Just whenever you get the idea, you want to borrow a rake or something, you just send out an email. But then they're also in the neighborhood. So I could go and get the- You go get the rake in person.

So it's not a technical problem. So why don't we have lots of these things? It sounds like we're wonderful to have this, right? And it turns out the real answer is these big companies. They know how to do it. They know, and I know this because I've talked personally, they invited me, Bob Putnam, out to wherever it was in Silicon Valley to talk about social capital. Amazing.

So it's not a technical problem. So why don't we have lots of these things? It sounds like we're wonderful to have this, right? And it turns out the real answer is these big companies. They know how to do it. They know, and I know this because I've talked personally, they invited me, Bob Putnam, out to wherever it was in Silicon Valley to talk about social capital. Amazing.

And we had a wonderful conversation. They clearly knew what I meant, and they knew the difference between face-to-face and connected, and they knew how to use, they conveyed the idea that they knew how to... Oh, they knew how to use their tools to get people to connect in person. Yes, but why don't they do that? Answer...

And we had a wonderful conversation. They clearly knew what I meant, and they knew the difference between face-to-face and connected, and they knew how to use, they conveyed the idea that they knew how to... Oh, they knew how to use their tools to get people to connect in person. Yes, but why don't they do that? Answer...

When it's much better for their business line if people fight than if they cooperate.

When it's much better for their business line if people fight than if they cooperate.

Yeah. And there's wonderful data on that. If you were worried about crime in your neighborhood and you had one of two strategies, you could have a lot more cops on the beat, pay cops more and, you know, arm them and so on. Or you could know one another's first name. The second is the more important crime-fighting strategy.

Yeah. And there's wonderful data on that. If you were worried about crime in your neighborhood and you had one of two strategies, you could have a lot more cops on the beat, pay cops more and, you know, arm them and so on. Or you could know one another's first name. The second is the more important crime-fighting strategy.

That is, it's more effective to have eyes on the street from your neighbors, just as you're saying. And what I'm talking about is big, huge studies that have done this experimentally.

That is, it's more effective to have eyes on the street from your neighbors, just as you're saying. And what I'm talking about is big, huge studies that have done this experimentally.

Yeah, well, I'm sorry.

Yeah, well, I'm sorry.

Yeah, well, at any rate, I don't want to interrupt this conversation Except that I hope we have a chance to go back to Bowling Alone and explain and say why it explains Trump.

Yeah, well, at any rate, I don't want to interrupt this conversation Except that I hope we have a chance to go back to Bowling Alone and explain and say why it explains Trump.

Right. Remember, bowling alone said 25 years ago that we had been for 25 years. At that point, had been... It'd been 25 years we've been going downhill in terms of our social connections. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right. Remember, bowling alone said 25 years ago that we had been for 25 years. At that point, had been... It'd been 25 years we've been going downhill in terms of our social connections. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's right. And that had been happening for 25 years. Now, 25 years later, we've gone back and done the same study, and it turns out nothing has changed. It's still going downhill. Despite all of my pleading and talking with people, it's going downhill, which now means for 50 years we've been going downhill. Wow. Donald Trump did not cause that. And this is the main thing I want to say here.

That's right. And that had been happening for 25 years. Now, 25 years later, we've gone back and done the same study, and it turns out nothing has changed. It's still going downhill. Despite all of my pleading and talking with people, it's going downhill, which now means for 50 years we've been going downhill. Wow. Donald Trump did not cause that. And this is the main thing I want to say here.

Donald Trump is not the cause of our problems. He's the symptom of our problems. American democracy had these problems long before Trump appeared on the scene. And most importantly, we will have those same problems leading to faltering democracy when he's no longer on the scene. Donald Trump exploited this. And I mean that, so this is Bob Putnam saying, you know, Donald Trump,