Long ago, a critic of the deep (and democratic) state of his day was charged with corrupting the minds of his fellow citizens. Admittedly, he had odd notions that ran contrary to the zeitgeist. But when given the choice of recanting or a painful death, he remarkably chose the latter. This is a theme that all cultures will recognize. 

The way forward isn't about piling one brick on top of another. It's about piling three bricks up and then having some fearless individual- one devoid of malice or profit- tear two of them down.