[bsenftner]

I believe a huge part of the failure is the lack of teaching anywhere, the general idea of how to manage discussions of disagreement. Because that is not discussed or taught, any topic with disagreements triggers emotional reactions in just enough people that no discussions of any progress can be made in such areas.

When the "middle 50%", as you call them, find they need help or really anything beyond what is immediately available they find they cannot articulate their need, nor can anyone around them understand them in their requests. They are propped up with an incomplete script and just left to flounder around, and because they cannot articulate their situation larger society is allowed to ignore them. Which is a completely manufactured situation.