This past week, a possible tectonic shift — the latest of several in these late-stage-empire times - took place.

Robert F Kennedy Jr's running mate, former tech founder Nicole Shanahan, released what is known in Presidential campaign strategy as a "trial balloon." This is the disclosure in public of a possible direction.

There are two reasons to release a "trial balloon": 1/ To test reactions to an idea that is still under consideration, in order to gauge public opinion about it — and especially to gauge donor opinion — prior to committing to it publicly, and thus to avoid risking an unintended backlash; and 2/ to get those people who might be shocked or startled by the idea used to it before it is formally announced.