Because I didn't have the parochial teachers you had? Didn't read the same stodgy tomes of ideological-ized theory, and "be a good little prole"?
How's the Athenian Constitution going? After school (after university, I mean) I have done about as much reading, studying and learning as at school, probably even more, so I can appropriately consider myself self-taught, not indoctrinated, particularly in the areas that are not my formal expertise. It is good to read a book every once in a while.
I fear for my country some.
What is there to fear for the most powerful country in the world? That the Commies will take it over? I know - the Democrats

But do you still resent yours, for escaping its (enforced) "socialist" malaise?
Hardly anyone over here has a problem recognising - at least in practice, if not in rhetoric - that the economy should be mixed: state-regulated on the macro level and "free" enterprise on the micro. Drawing the lines between them is of course an eternal debate. "Socialist" is not an issue.
In Estonia the more serious issue is the divide along ethnic lines -
what is the country? For Estonians, the capital is Tallinn. For Russians, the capital is Moscow, Putin is the president, and Estonia is an aberration due to temporary unfortunate geopolitical circumstances. This divide most recently flared up during the vaccination campaign - Russians expect to be vaccinated with Sputnik V, the vaccine hailed on Russian TV, and refuse any western vaccines, which are dangerous according to Russian TV. Again, "socialist" is not an issue.
Regarding "right mindsets" and such, perhaps you think I need "re-education"?
More like self-cultivation to stop making a fool of yourself at dinner parties, official gatherings and such. But if those events are not on your horizon, then perhaps beware of accusing the police of being Commies when they randomly arrest you. Or something.
The right mindset would mitigate most conflicts, not exacerbate them. The fact that USA is the number 1 war criminal in the world demonstrates the wrong mindset. Who is the number 2 war criminal in the world, what do you think? North Korea, Iran, China, Russia? Whichever you pick, it would be a distant number 2, and Russia has the excuse of having undergone shrinking from their perceived identification with Soviet Union or (worse) the (ex-)Communist bloc, while USA has only ever been the aggressor, having never undergone any shrinking and any threat against their country. So, very very wrong mindset.
I know of no authoritarian government that hasn't resorted to that practice, the aligning of its citizen's beliefs, speech and thought, with the official "party line."
The funny thing is that the "party line" problem is very acute in USA. In (continental) Europe, there are always at least two parties who form the cabinet and at least five parties that sit in the parliament, usually more. Whereas in USA you have two indistinguishable parties, yet in rhetoric, against all rhyme, reason, and facts, the Repubs believe that the Dems are authoritarians about to overturn the constitution and whatever (and this "party line" has become mainstream since Tea Party and Trump), at the same time as the Repubs themselves have undertaken actual real-life coups, such as this year Jan 6th and thereafter blocking impeachment of the treasonous president. Looks like impeachment of the president is the weakest point of your constitution: never once has it been successful, meaning that the president is absolutely unaccountable, if he happens to be unscrupulous. Nixon at least had a conscience...
The funniest aspect here is that the policies and platforms of the parties (actual, nevermind mere rhetoric) are indistinguishable from each other. You are the one clearly toeing the party line and dreaming of one-party rule.
Why on earth should I allow politicians -at any level- to presume they (...or any gaggle of their experts...) know better, how I should live my life?
Conversely, why should any politician allow you to have any input on how the country or the city should be run? Politicians welcome politely reasoned input, not silly rhetoric about Commies taking over or stupid extrapolations from first or second or fifth amendment. And they often actually act on input that comes along with some personal benefits. This is how politics works regardless of party.
Furthermore, there are ways to influence politicians without bribing them when there are signs that there is a broader popular cause at issue, but this requires you to recognise your own class and the politician's class. You keep misidentifying these, thus misidentifying what is good for you and what is practicable for the politician.
Overall, for peace of mind it is advisable to let politicians do whatever they are doing - and ignore it. Let them think they know better and that they have some influence over how we regular folks live our lives. Let them. And then occasionally show them what really is the case.
(Did you ever see the film "The Americanization of Emily"? (Paddy Chievski's script is wonderfully wry and worldly!) I highly recommend it. I suspect, ersi, the world gets you down because it hasn't lifted you up as high as you think it ought... 
Whatever. Get back when you are done with the Athenian Constitution.