Critical Thinking in Short Supply

I think I now know why people like Greg Nickels and Ron Sims continue to be elected to positions of power: the smart people of Seattle are soundly outnumbered by complete and utter dumbasses. The Enlightened Ones just don't stand a chance when most of the citizenry is clearly bereft of a functioning brainstem. Case in point:

City officials want to spend $8 million on a feasibility study on the effects of not having the Alaskan Way Viaduct as a means of north-south motor vehicle transportation in Seattle. Never mind that it's a state issue, but the Seattle City Council is so completely wrapped up in this mania of "Cars are bad! Ride your bike! If you disagree you heate the earth!" that they would happily drown the region in perpetual gridlock just to try and force their will on the masses.

While listening to the Dori Monson show as I do nearly every weekday afternoon, I heard people calling in to rant on points that anyone who had been paying a modicum of attention would realize are faulty. One came to the startling conclusion that removing one of two north-south highways would not decrease the usership by half, even when the host clearly said that the Viaduct is a north-south highway. And then another went on to ask "What about Interstate 405? People can use that!" Well, that's all fine and good if you want to get to the Eastside, but if you want to stay in Seattle, it's the I-5 or nothing.

Critical thinking isn't that hard. You look at the facts, take them all in, and make a decision based on everything on the table. Runaway government can only survive when they have a bunch of willing simps who will overlook things randomly and do what those in charge tell them to. Don't fall for it.