How does a person, or is it even possible to, escape, transcend or conquer meta-ignorance?

This is along the lines of the "golden hammer" philosophy. If you don't tell someone there are other tools that can be used to solve problems, everything looks like a nail. The reason is because other tools haven't been demonstrated to be as useful as the "golden hammer".

Educated people do not manage administrations. If educated people did manage administrations, things would be approached empirically instead of just using a blanket application (golden hammer) for everything.

Of course the statement by Rumsfeld was pure political BS.

They didn't not know anything, they refused to see the obvious. Not seeing was in the realm of Bush's handlers who told him what not to see.

Politics are run by corruption rather than reason. Those who make a fortune profiteering control the "blinders" that administrations wear, and EVERY administration wears them.

As is said "don't follow the nose follow the money".

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.