stu·pid (stpĭd, sty-)

1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.

2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes.

3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless:a stupid mistake.

4. Dazed, stunned, or stupefied:felt stupid after taking the pain medication.

"Gold Price Manipulation Is A Criminal Conspiracy"

Of course it is. National government is nothing more than the top level of the progression from "street gangs" to "city-wide area controllers" to "regional mob bosses" to "'legitimatized' government officials."

When a person actually sees the system for what it is; it is hysterically funny. It is also instructional as recognizing the reality helps one to make properly informed life-decisions. "Gold Price Manipulation Is A Criminal Conspiracy"? Did anyone actually think the leaders of government would behave altruistically?

On rare occasions an honest man (or woman) will find their way into public office. Their honesty limits their ability to make it to the highest echelons. Then they die (or otherwise leave office) and are replaced by the typical self-aggrandizing political weasel. The system is historically proven to be incapable of change.

Each of the above definitions of "stupid" is an appropriate description of the electorate as a whole. Individually some are well above the definition of stupid, but they are hopelessly outnumbered and cannot change the reality.

By the way I am in no way disagreeing with the article. I am only pointing out that people who believe in the system are finally coming to the conclusion that history was suggesting many years ago when this issue first became a discussion.