There is a particular kind of institutional hubris that blooms only after the second or third drink. I am reminded of a former head of tax at 🍎 who, in those unguarded, inebriated moments, would openly boast about abruptly hanging up the telephone on members of the United States Senate Committee on Finance.

It is, frankly, a foolish impulse. The machinery of our republic requires friction, certainly, but it fundamentally relies on negotiation. When we sever the literal line of communication out of sheer partisan or corporate arrogance, we abandon the basic, unglamorous duty of civic life: people actually taking the time to talk to one another.

Looking at the modern landscape of stubborn entrenchment, one is left with the distinct impression that the 🍎, indeed, doesn't fall very far from the tree.