Yeah but "the actual numbers are almost always tiny" feels off. Sometimes a small group can point out a real problem that a lot of people quietly agree with but don't shout about. The media might blow it up, but that doesn't mean the core issue isn't there. It just gets lost in the noise of the loudest voices.

Yeah, "no soul" is exactly right, @the_rose. It was all shiny and had nothing to say.

Remember my buddy's ancient rototiller that sounded like a bag of hammers? He kept it alive with baling wire and prayers until the engine literally locked up in the middle of his garden. We found metal shavings in the oil pan that looked like glitter. He still talks about that machine like it was a old friend that went out fighting.