> that's really dangerous, because the will of the people can get really hairy. Yes, but that's a direct consequence of having an ill-informed, poorly educated

> that's really dangerous, because the will of the people can get really hairy. Yes, but that's a direct consequence of having an ill-informed, poorly educated , credulous, angry, compliant majority. Societies where the elite are looking to retain their power base will typically channel fewer resources to public education, and more to the institutions that reinforce their own position. Difficult to undo once it's been started, and (IMO) it's been happening for a very long time in AU, UK, US -- and presumably almost everywhere else that self-identifies as a capitalist democracy. So, yes, the will of the people can get hairy, but of the two options -- force the agenda of the elite upon everyone else, or work towards a better society -- the preferable option very much depends which of those groups you're in right now. Also noting that if you're in the uninformed group, you may not recognise that, or think anything needs changing.