This is certainly the argument put forth by prominent conservative (and Epstein flight buddy) Steven Pinker in his disingenuous book, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE. But the “crueller [as opposed to cruller; honestly, more cruller than crueller would be better] and stupider” nature of the world is endemic in American politics, the dehumanization of LGBTQIA people, the popularity of ghosting (which dehumanizes the other texter and is an affront to common courtesy), the savage manner in which putative “liberals” (that is, moderates) lead social media campaigns to silence the marginalized, the unshakeable and ubiquitous crassitude of AI that regrettably shows no signs of vital extinction and has been proven by numerous social scientists to have a significantly deleterious impact on basic cognitive function, and so forth. It is such a disease that it cannot be ignored. This is not to suggest that there aren’t pockets of kind, congenial, smart, empathetic, and respectful members of humanity. But even they are in flight thanks to the baleful shenanigans of a certain Orange Fuhrer with a rotting woodland creature permanently stapled to the top of his depraved and demented skull. I do not wish to waste time with cruel and dopey moppets (pardon my improvement of your alliteration) because they are indistinguishable with stopped clocks and whatever perspicacity spews through their gormless and cadaverous lips is often involuntary and accidental. I was not an elitist before November 2024. Today I am. Because I wish to preserve the hopeful beats of my heart. I want to retain SOME small faith in a more enlightened sliver of humanity rather than participating in the mad folly of extending sentience to ghoulish creatures who defend the Cornell 7, are peachy keen with millions of children dying out of sight and out of mind in faraway nations thanks to the shuttering of USAID under DOGE, and so forth. Are these not cruel and stupid pastimes? Only someone without a robust moral compass would answer that question in an odious way.