Now 14% more collectively stupid!

How is this possible? How is it possible that, after some slow progress, we're getting collectively stupider again?

Half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003 -- up from 36 percent last year, a Harris poll finds. Pollsters deemed the increase both "substantial" and "surprising" in light of persistent press reports to the contrary in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Harris poll offered some positive feedback on Iraq. Seventy-two percent of respondents said the Iraqi people are better off now than under Saddam Hussein's regime -- a figure similar to that of 2004, when it stood at 76 percent. In addition, 64 percent say Saddam had "strong links" with al Qaeda, up from 62 percent in October 2004. Fifty-five percent said that "history will give the U.S. credit for bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq."

I don't understand. Did Rick Santorum's ridiculous lipstick-on-the-pig parade of scary, scary mustard gas really convince 14% of Americans that Iraq had WMDs after all? How is it that we're still having this conversation? How, with about 100 Iraqis dying violent deaths every day on average, are people still convinced that we saved them from that bad, bad man Saddam? I wonder if future researchers will find that American Public opinions are actually tied to sunspots or other celestial forces.

Because they certainly aren't tied to actual facts on planet earth.

Yeuck. Maybe I'll just move to Canada one day instead back to the U.S. Oh wait...