I was always an advocate for full information and full free expression.

We should all have access to all of it. And all of us should be able to say any of it.

But those views were formed pre-social media. They were developed in the shadow of the gatekeeping age of monthly magazines and newspaper conglomerates.

In the parawords of one of our Founders, I forget which one, the freedoms of this republic are only suitable for a moral people.

One of the greatest historical liberties enshrined in the founding documents is the freedom of speech. Freedom of press. Freedom of expression.

Those were general goods, arcing history toward justice kinds of goods.

But now, I fear, they are being used to arc things toward evil and confusion and destruction.

If I were an enemy of a good and well-meaning people, I’d play a long game like this: slowly bury them under bits and bytes. Eroding. Sowing doubt. Layers of ideas conflicting ideas. I’d appeal to their pride, convincing them each, a billion little gods, that they alone won’t be deceived, and that they can keep drinking drinking drinking.

Water is good for us. We all need water to live. But drinking 100 gallons of water in a day will kill you.

I think the same principle applies here: the enemies of freedom and justice use this tool—which has been so effective in the cause of freedom and justice—to obscure, lie, confuse. A firehouse of half-truths and misinformation and outright deceptions, spewed on high speed through powerhouse algorithms to addicted consumers.

The stuff I hear social media news people saying makes my head spin.

But: I want them to be free to say it. I want them to be free to read it. Watch it. Scroll it. Swipe it.

Heaven forbid I become anyone’s free expression idea limiting nanny gatekeeper!

But please, brother, sister, slow down. Take a break. Disconnect. Get off your phone for a day. Off the news for a week. Get off social media for a month. Or forever.

Addition by subtraction.