You're definately right, and it's only getting worse. I went to a small rural school and was in a class of about 105. There were only about thirty people including myself who I believed were very intelligent. This is a New York school with relatively small class rooms in an easy going atmosphere. New York and California have the best public school systems. New books are gotten every 5 years or so. Many of the schools in other states such as Texas (Where Bush was the governor) have books up to 50 years old. Last time I checked, Texas's school system was in shambles. On average, Northern schools are better than Southern schools. The No Child Left Behind Act is ruining the public school system all across the board. I won't go into specifics, but I'm sure it can easily be found. Now you'll just have to trust me on this, because since 2001 I have been talking to friends, family, teachers, professors, and fellow parishoners about this subject. All of whom who had at least a rudimentry knowledge of what was going on.
This probably best explains why Bush got elected twice. The majority of the American public is stupid, and it is acceptable. It's not just the government's fault though. It also has to do with how children are raised and the society in which they live. If you don't believe me, just look at who many people ideolize. For the vast majority of people it is "artists". And by that I mean actors/actresses and singers, not writers, painters, graphic artists, orators, etc. This is not to make a generalization about any one group of people, but for the two groups I mentioned for the vast majority of them their intelligence is like a small flame. Easily snuffed out (it may be a bad analogy, but I had to use it.). For many of the people here, while we may or may not be wrong about various subjects, have an intelligence like that of a roaring inferno. In a contest of all around knowledge, many could outshine those protrayed to be at the top of society.
The fact remains that while knowledge = power, a little knowledge and a lot of wealth = a ton of power. We are a world ruled by the wealthy and for the most part in a sense evil.