This post from Uncle reminded me of John Stossel's campaign to ban dihydrogen monoxide. It's about what I call ignoracracy-- control of the people through ignorance, or the "Ignorati"-- those who use that tactic. Stossel got plenty of signatures on his petition. He told people things like; dihydrogen monoxide, used heavily in industry, corrodes metal, and it kills thousands of people each year including children. Congress is doing nothing about it! All totally true of course.
Yellow journalism could be seen as a form of ignoracracy, except that we can turn it off or look away at will.
Education would be the obvious antidote, except that education is owned by the Ignorati.