“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” 

” . . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.”

These words from Thomas Jefferson formed the backbone of his educational platform – the belief that an informed electorate was the foundation of democracy and a voting prerequisite.

The following statistics garnered from yesterday’s exit polls show we the people are either uneducated and uninformed or we make poor decisions:

  • 40% of voters thought the economy is getting better
  • 25% of voters thought they’re better off financially than four years ago
  • more than 50% of voters thought the country is on the wrong track
  • 10% of voters settled on their presidential choice within the last few days or on Election Day

Are these indications of informed people making good decisions?

There is a painfully clear economic truth that cannot be ignored.  America is an unsustainable welfare state.

That may sound like partisan rhetoric.  In fact it’s been intentionally perverted to become such.  The political machine cranks out slanted slices of the truth and the media can’t help but serve it to hungry consumers who don’t seem to care what they eat.  Do we seek out news to inform us or to confirm previously formed opinions?  Proliferation of left-leaning (e.g. MSNBC) and right-leaning (e.g. Fox) media offer strong evidence.

If we lack an informed electorate then where are we headed?  Jefferson’s plan for education offers a clue:

“democracy cannot long exist without enlightenment”

“democracy cannot function without wise and honest officials”

Even more nihilistic is a theory advanced by Alexander Fraser Tytler:

Chart: The Tytler Cycle in History

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.  After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses . . .”

Back to the exit polls:

  • 60% of voters said that taxes should be increased
  • almost 50% of voters said taxes should be increased on income over $250,000

Is it coincidence that 50% of Americans pay no tax?

If we take Tytler’s theory at face value then the journey from bondage through liberty would cover the Revolutionary period.  Abundance would be the post-Civil War prosperity lasting until the end of World War II.  The journey from selfishness through apathy would encompass the late 1940s through today as we’ve arrived at the aforementioned state of dependence.

So on this morning of reflection we wonder whether election results really matter.  An Obama or Romney victory may be moot as they are most certainly cogs in the same machine.

The grand American experiment has lasted for almost 250 years.  Unless we become a more informed electorate or make better choices the next step seems inevitable.

Good morning America.  We’ve made our own fiscal bed.  It’s now time to sleep in it.