Greetings and welcome to the Daily Article Podcast.

Today is Wednesday, July the 26th, 2023.

I'm Chris Elkins, narrating today's article written by Denison Forum co-founder and CEO, Dr. Jim Denison.

Elon Musk has announced that Twitter's product name is being changed to X and that he is getting

rid of the bird logo and all of the associated words, including tweet.

According to analysts and brand agencies, the move wiped out anywhere between $4 billion and $20 billion in value.

Speaking of brand value, the Wall Street Journal reports that parents are now hiring $4,000

sorority consultants to help their daughters dress and impress during rush.

The article explains that getting into sororities has become nearly as competitive as acceptance

to top universities. Such consultants

advise their clients on what to wear, how to act, what to say, and the wisdom of scrubbing

potential off-putting social media posts. Meanwhile, Gallup tells us that the share of U.S.

adults who are extremely proud to be American sits at 39%, essentially unchanged from

last year's 38% record low, and down 31% from its high of 70% in 2003. The share of young adults,

who are extremely proud to be Americans, has especially plummeted to 18% today. Americans 55 and older

are nearly three times more likely to be extremely proud of their nationality than younger generations.

As political consultant Lee Atwater succinctly noted, quote unquote, perception is reality.

When shifting perceptions cost us billions of

dollars or enhance our social standing, they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This fact is

especially relevant to the future of our nation in ways that may not be obvious to you,

but are no less urgent. Cultural scholar Walter Russell Mead recently and perceptively

explained the narrative that fuels many young Americans resentment of their country. In this telling,

...