They have learned just fine, but the lesson is the opposite of what you want. If the people don't want something, bring it up again and again and you can still eventually make it law, despite the people's desires.

Then they should be defeated again and again.

It only takes winning once. It doesn't help that public opinion holds little to no sway, and that it takes money from big players to fight it off every time.

Corrupt laws can be repealed. Something like DMCA 1201 looks set in stone, but I have no doubt it will eventually be scrapped.

But I agree, if such kind of junk becomes law it's much harder to repeal it, than to prevent it from becoming law in the first place.