> Here's what it sounds like to an idiot off the street like me

Idiots on the streets are usually one of the main weaknesses of democracy.

The idiots under a democratic society should be seen as what they are: a threat which the only way to counteract is through education, including civics. The problem with our current modern democracies is we haven't found a way to treat the threat as what it is, and focus on solving the core issue: idiocy.

We try, education of societies in general is better than any point before in history but still lacking a lot, ergo your comment.