Are our political problems a consequence of our lack of awareness, or is the lack of awareness a consequence of dysfunctional politics?

that's a chicken-egg question.

seems like you can't replace politics with anything better unless you change your awareness first, in spite of politics.

sure beats a bunch of unaware peeps hacking at the political system as is...

though it is deeply unsatisfying to folks raised on instant gratification looking always for the easy way out.

... like most of us!

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty