This thread's a spinoff from the bail topic because while it's tangentially related, it seemed like it needed its own thread.
I want you to think about the average American for a moment. Most Americans couldn't find their own home town on a map, yet they're entrusted with electing people who will influence global geo-politics. Most Americans can't balance their own checkbooks, and yet they're entrusted with electing people who are in charge of managing governmental budgets. Most Americans can't explain HOW the government works, and yet they're in charge of choosing WHO runs the government.
Do the American people deserve the rights they have, given their basic failure to embrace the responsibility for self-management such rights come with? I understand @TakeYouToTasker's vociferous support for unlimited freedoms, but he seems to ignore the responsibilities portion of the equation. Is it even POSSIBLE for such a citizenry to manage their own affairs in a truly FREE society?
I doubt it. I could be wrong, but I have serious reservations about the idea. What are your thoughts? Are there any real, effective solutions to what I see as the core problem of our system?