I 'sort of second' CS Burton's suggestion that sound debate on these complex issues could be the way forward to get over this problem of 'voter dumbness'.

But there is a critical difficulty here: debate in the conventional 'pure prose mode' all too often leads to nowhere except frustration all round and greater dumbness and aggressiveness (and certainly not to enhanced wisdom in behaviour).

This happens largely because of the unrelenting linearity of prose, and its consequent inability to capture the complex, multilinear relationships of factors in real life and our ideas about real life. The problem is like so: we wish to communicate about the multi-linear relationships that we perceive between the factors involved in the systems we are considering. But our prime mode of discussion, 'pure prose', allows ONLY linear relationships to be readily discussed. Thus, a great deal of what we are trying to communicate is all too often not understood clearly (or is even entirely misunderstood) by those to whom are are trying to communicate.

Suggestion: I suggest a minor extension to the language we use, 'prose', in our conventional debates. The extension is a language I call 'prose + structural graphics' (p+sg). The recommended 'structural graphics' are pictures graphically showing the multilinear relationships between factors in complex systems (the subjects of our debates), which are left largely ambiguous in pure prose. It takes no great effort or time for anyone who knows how to read and write to learn to think and work in this recommended p+sg.

p+sg is based on the seminal contributions to systems science by John N. Warfield, who has created powerful tools that can signficantly enhance our ability to communicate effectively about complex issues. More information about some of Warfield's developments is available at http://jnwarfield.com and more is available at the 'John N. Warfield Collection' maintained by George Mason University: http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/gmu/vifgm00008.tp.

(With those qualifications as noted a couple of paragraphs ago, I do entirely agree with CS Burton's contention that good debate could definitely help us surmount this problem of 'voter dumbness' [to a considerable extent]).

In several of my earlier postings, I have provided some basic information about p+sg - and I would happy to provide (freely) plenty more information, to those who would write in to me at gs (underscore) chandy (at) yahoo (dot) com - along with a useful software package, freely downloadable, that can help creating the models involved in p+sg.

-- GSC

...thrown the GW Bush Gang of War Criminals/ Incompetents out of power for their incompetence, put them on trial for their crimes, thrown them into jail for the rest of their miserable lives?

Just start doing those things, and you would be taking the first steps that you should have started taking way back in 2003 (or even earlier).

GSC

Karl Rove is a criminal.

True enough.

-- And what about GW Bush?

-- Dick Cheney?

-- Don Rumsfeld?

-- Condoleeza Rice?

-- Paul Wolfowitz?

-- Scott McClellan?

...

...

(and the rest of that Gang of War Criminals and Thieves who happen to be ruling the USA today, much as Hitler and Gang once ruled over Nazi Germany? (Of course, some of them have departed for other pastures, such as Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Scott McClellan...)

But those questions above are still crying for answers...

-- GSC

Leeandra Nolting: "...remember bush's speech in front of St. Louis Cathedral?..."

AND also remember "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED", and GW Bushie all tricked out in his nice yellow pilot suit with handkerchiefs stuffed in at the crotch to emphasize his malehood? (At that stage only about 500 US soldiers had died,

and only some -- thousand Eye-rackis, and only US$ 50 billion had been spent versus what? -- 1 million Eye-rackis have died now now, 4000-odd US soldiers have died now, 500-odd billion have been squandered on this foolish war (give or take a billion here and a billion here, particularly give a billion or so to Halliburton), and the total cost of this war is to be something like $ 3 TRILLION!!! etc, etc, etc.)

AND also remember GW Bush at that photo-op in Baghdad (in 2005?), serving phony plastic stuffed turkey Thanksgiving dinners to his troops at Baghdad, proclaiming: "I just wanted a good Thanksgiving dinner with my troops" (or words to that effect"... [Remember how The Independent, London had headlined that effort? "THE TURKEY HAS LANDED!

AND also remember GW Bush, Masseur-in-Chief, launching his special 'massage-attack' on Angela Merkel...(this is YOUR President, of whom all the US should be truly proud!)

AND also remember GW Bush sneering at Karla Faye Tucker when she telephoned him as Governor of Texas on the morning she was to be executed to beg him grant her mercy ...

AND also remember how he boasted at his inauguration on 'winning' in 2004 that he now had some 'capital' and he intended to spend it...

AND also remember ...

Remember, remember, remember...(the list is practically endless)!

AND also remember that GW Bush and his Gang of War Criminals are still mis-ruling the US, the world's sole super-power, you US citizens have not yet acted to ensure the impeachment of everyone impeachable in his Gang, have not thrown that bunch of scoundrels out of power and into jail where they belong for the rest of their miserable lives...

--GSC