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Stolen Land at the Grammys: How Hollywood Groupthink Threatens Democracy

Our public culture rewards juvenile certainty while punishing hesitation, qualification, or good-faith disagreements.
Stolen Land at the Grammys: How Hollywood Groupthink Threatens Democracy
The 68th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026. Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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Commentary

Among the consolations of youth is the certainty with which one holds beliefs about the world. There is comfort in the conviction that one’s moral bearings are firmly set, that one’s understanding of complex questions is not only sincere but also correct. The world appears legible; right and wrong seem sharply drawn; doubt and nuance are dismissed as weakness or evasion.

Patrick Keeney
Patrick Keeney
Author
Patrick Keeney, Ph.D., is an academic and columnist.