Does the Internet make people stupid? This column has been on the optimistic side: Surely humans can still find a way to focus on and understand complex topics. But that faith is being sorely tested by the abysmal Washington debate over "net neutrality."

Monday is the deadline for public comments on proposed Internet regulations to the Federal Communications Commission. More than one million comments have been posted, mostly sent by "clicktivists" and drafted by special-interest groups in Washington. As...