People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work

[saltpoint]

6. Madison and Jefferson were hoping

for an informed citizenry.

There are pockets of informed citizenry but coast to coast, there is considerable untruth and distortion.

Agree with Snot's comment above about public education. We could shitcan the standardized testing and then rehaul our public school curricula. Many other nations' 18-year olds graduate from high school with more inherent knowledge and ability than most U.S. 18-year olds.

The people who watch FOX News either don't know they're being fed distortions and propaganda or, they know and don't care. The Trump supporter doesn't care about facts, because if you stop to research a position, explore ideas, foster dialogue, and read available documentation, you wind up with a gray area on all issues. Better to just slam your fist down on the bar, ban Muslims, and build a wall along the Mexican border.

The Cruz supporters may not know they're being sold a bill of goods. Cruz is an unrepetant theocrat, and not just research and facts, but all of Science is meaningless. There are way too many people who invoke Biblical authority over the laws of a republic. And a disturbing number of those people have not read either the Bible or the Constitution.