Learning?

As if the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) needed anything further to convince the public that they are corrupt, unresponsive, and unsuitable to lead Japan in the 21st century, a Member of Parliament has admitted to buying votes, as reported in the Japan Times. It is surprising how long the LDP has held on -- one cannot help but wonder at why the Japanese people don't demand something better from their elected officials.

Also, Julian Sanchez comparison of how children are taught about santa and god (via a link from lexfiles) makes one think:

Sometime soon after, when I started kindergarten, I first encountered the notion of "God" via another child. Again, I don't remember the specifics. But I remember thinking: "Oh, I know this game." I decided not to spoil the make-believe for the other kid. When he was older, surely his parents would explain that they hadn't been serious.