I wouldn't call myself very knowledgeable, but what I do know I learned from just looking stuff up online. The best advice I can offer is first, to not trust any single news source. Go to as many different sources as you can to get all perspectives.

Second, always keep an open mind and don't get caught up on labels. Labels make it very easy to dislike certain people before hearing what they actually think. Often, labels are twisted and distorted from their original meaning.

Neither do I, and I don't want to.

Most people don't(including me).
They just don't teach these stuff in school.

I can discuss them and my education in both subjects was and still is spotty and mostly self-taught... it's also a lot about paying attention to things, thinking about them and coming to a conclusion based on what you know and what you've learned. Really, if you are interested on it and spends time on these things, that's enough for you to be as good as any expert.

Why? You see, economics and politics are very wide subjects and often it's better to look at things as a changing whole instead of staring at trends and patterns - like juggling really, you focus too much in one of the balls and they'll all fall away, and we live in a world that punishes those who aren't specialized enough.

I hope it made some sense to you. Maybe that's just my opinion but I really think that's it.

There are a few users on this site that would put me to shame in economics or politics debate. I don't even try to debate them that much but I like hearing their insight on some issues. Makes me feel a little dumb but one can't know everything. I just try to add something interesting to the threads or I just put a one liner statement in and see if it gets expanded upon. I like it most when other people join in on the quote tree that I started. I might not respond again to what I initially started but I like to see where it ends up.

Its just meaningless stuff, really.
unless of course you are a national bank.

You're not a US Citizen are you?  Every school in the US teaches American Government.  It's a required course.  And then, when you get to college/university, you typically have to take a 2nd course of it. 

don't feel bad,common sense is all you need,

and one can always learn about a subject whatever it is if one really wants to,it's never too late as they say

It's stuff that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, I do it for the sport.

But cub, if this can help, I created the VGStockz thread knowing little to nothing about stocks. I started the thread as a noob so I could learn. I've learnt a bit, but I am really so far behind Ail and such.

I try to find little tricks or exercises to squeeze into the smart-o-sphere :)

all seriousness you have access to the internet therefor all it takes is abit of initiative from yourself to simply look it up and read about it. No excuse really you have all the resources. just sstart by googling what you what to know and knuckle down the definitions first