Neal Stephenson — American Writer born on October 31, 1959,

Neal Town Stephenson is an award-winning American writer and game designer known for his works of speculative fiction... (wikipedia)

The difference between stupid and intelligent people - and this is true whether or not they are well-educated - is that intelligent people can handle subtlety.
The difference between ignorant and educated people is that the latter know more facts. But that has nothing to do with whether they are stupid or intelligent.
Once a person has all the things they need to live, everything else is entertainment.
Most countries are static, and they need to do is keep having babies. But America's like this big old clanking smoking machine that just lumbers across the landscape scooping up and eating everything in sight.
It is the fate of operating systems to become free.