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This is hardly a party-line political problem. I wouldn't call it "tyranny." But I would call it "traiterous." It's a far better description of what this unchecked spending is doing to our nation.

I voted Ron Paul in the primaries because I can acknowledge the financial times in which we live. I'm sorry more people didn't do the same. Then again, I was doing the freakout dance about deficit spending back in the 80's... you know, when I first learned this concept of "negative numbers" and "interest." I learned about "negative numbers" from my public school experience. I only wish they taught me about "interest." But at least I learned. :)

This Poli Sci major/former journalist absolutely tears out his hair over this.

While I absolutely find our civics education lacking at the K12 level (this was one of the reasons I was attracted to teaching actually), I am more worried about the echo-chamber-of-stupid that is our television media. When folks get their civics education in pithy, hysterical screaming on TV for hours a week, we shouldn't be surprised when voters are operating at that level.

Course, the Tea Party crowd would likely not trust the institution of schools to take the lead with that education.

Mrs. C--I agree that this is not a party-line problem. (Hence my attempt at a broad critique.) People of all political stripes have been screaming about the enemy within and sinister plots by politicians or people of opposing parties to undo everything that made us great. There's little room for civil society to function when those kinds of conversations set the standard.

Mr. Brown--I agree about the level of discourse on television--and what a terrible stand-in that is for proper civic education. If people don't trust schools to undertake civic education, do they trust Olbermann or Hannity to do the job?

*Trust* public schools to undertake civic education?

Claus is sitting there wondering what my response would be to that little gem, aren't ya, Claus? :P