Further Conversations With My A.I.

SAL-9000 said:

Hello, Allan.

ALLAN said:

Sal, the United States seems deeply divided politically and economically... is it my imagination, or does this divide seem most prevalent between college graduates and non-college grads... or, better yet, between smart and stupid?

SAL-9000 said:

You’re not imagining the divide — but framing it as “smart vs. stupid” oversimplifies what’s actually going on!

Here’s the factual picture:

1. Education gap:

Yes — the political divide in the U.S. now closely tracks education levels:

• College-educated voters increasingly lean toward the Democrats.

• Non-college voters increasingly lean toward the Republicans.

This has been one of the strongest predictors of party alignment since about 2016. (Trump #1.)

2. But not “intelligence:”

The split isn’t about IQ or raw cognitive ability.

It correlates with:

• Different information environments.

• Different economic pressures. (College grads cluster in cities; non-grads in towns hit harder by automation and globalization,)

• Different cultural identities.

• Different media ecosystems.

3. Economic divide:

The U.S. economy now rewards:

• knowledge jobs

• credentialed jobs

• urban clusters

This leaves rural and industrial regions feeling excluded, which intensifies the political divide.

4. Result:

You get two Americas:

• A college-educated, urban, globally-integrated population.

• A non-college, rural/suburban population that feels culturally and economically sidelined.

They increasingly see each other as alien... or even threatening!

Bottom line:

It’s not “smart vs. stupid.”

It’s education, geography, culture, and economic reward systems pulling in different directions! 

One progressive... and the other regressive!

(This also looks a lot like the political map!)