[Amelia]

My first effort being a failure, I thought after a night's sleep to try again. Quoting your words:

Keyes was saying that due to the fact ordinary people do not have the time or perhaps the mental capacity to learn or understand all the political intricasy which moves us to war, images and untarnished memories of events such as the WTC, Pentagon, and yes Pearl Harbor in flames, are essential to keep public support of a war.

Would this be evidence that Dr. Keyes is an elitist?

[ridensm]

I don't think so Amelia. He does recognize that politicians make a life of studying events and therefore have more information to base decisions on, many people simply do not have the time to stay as informed as possible.

Mental capacity in this context does not mean dumb vs. smart, which even if it did would not be a basis for thinking one is better than another, but it relates to the spheres people apply themselves in. If I spend my day working in foreign affairs I have a greater mental capacity to understand forces which would compell us to war than if I spent my day being an engineer, or a dog cather.