You’re all living in a fantasy world, and don’t even know it, just like those you think of as dumbed down.
Do you really think in our modern, complex world and in our HUGE country, that anyone—even those in the know in Washington—has enough knowledge to understand the real issues?
Like government let’s the average Joe Blow voter have a look at top secret infomation that is critical to the decisions government needs make?
There’s no such thing as a citizen who isn’t dumbed down, who isn’t ignorant—simply because there’s too much to know and some of the most important stuff is top secret.
So, what’s a politician to do except make up issues over which to get the ignorant public (including you and me) stirred up.
So the public debates a lot of nonsense, and the politicians parry and thrust at each other and the most skillful wins the election.
Even though the issues are phony or if real, not very important—the system still works because the most skillful team wins the election.
And having skilled leaders is the most important thing, for if they have the wiles to win an election, we can hope that that have the wiles to face the real problems, about which only those in office can have full knowledge.
All of that is beside the point! The point is that we do have citizens who are smart enough to understand the basic, unchanging principles such as, “there is no free lunch”. But if you allow every idiot to vote then you elect people who have zero respect for principles of any kind. This is about not letting those who have no judgement be led around by the nose by demagogues. Citizens who have some degree of discernment are more likely to elect someone who can be trusted with the top secret stuff which cannot be revealed to everyone.
Oh, well, as I said it is impossible to win over an idiot by reasoned discourse.
You really should consider a new user name. Maybe Purveyor of Unreason.
The electorate do not elect Military personnel, Generals, C.I.A personnel, State Department drones etc... that handle all that stuff. Well trained personnel already comprehend “top secret” material without any candidate’s input.
The electorate do elect people who trade secrets for campaign cash, would have elected a Senator that flushed the investigation down the tubes for a trip on the Space Shuttle, broke all kinds of campaign laws, the wife elected to Senator, the Senator has a realistic shot at the Presidency etc...
I give you that the politicians do appoint leaders in the field but again even those leaders already have real world experience rendering your point mute. Candidate calls the shots but even so, their humility would hopefully take over as they listen to those experts at breaking down top secret material.
If a President gave away top secret information, covered it up, and was running again do you actually think people who vote for this person is innocent? Ignorance is no excuse.