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I'm not really sure what to make of reports like this. One the one hand, it does seem pretty terrifying. But on the other, I feel like the fact that the governi

I'm not really sure what to make of reports like this. One the one hand, it does seem pretty terrifying. But on the other, I feel like the fact that the governing apparatus of the US has more-or-less worked for several hundred years can't have been predicated on a hyper-educated electorate. It reminds me of a quote at the beginning of Types and Programming Languages, attributed to Tom Melham: "Formal methods will never have a significant impact until they can be used by people that don't understand them." I would think systems of government would be similar.

kunle 15y ago
The governing apparatus of the US is less than 300 years old non? A couple things are also different this time - at no time in world history has american reach/impact been so great, and the US is pretty much facing a one of a kind set of challenges with the combination of near fiscal ruin, with being the world's reserve currency (just to name one). The quality of education that voters have might be the same as it has been in the past, but the consequences of poor electoral choices is most definitely greater.