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So the Public is Stupid and Ill-Informed | 33 comments (33 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

j'accuse! (none / 1)

One thing political scientists, and a lot of other people, don't seem to understand is that representative government is not the best possible system of government because the majority of the voting public is well-informed, altruistic, or wise. The will of the people can be for really stupid and/or immoral things.

You can't possibly believe this, because just a few weeks ago you wrote:

these are the three great errors that prevent progressives for attaining power. These are three of the four lethal cynicisms.
The first lethal cynicism is the conviction that the people are too stupid, too susceptible, and too selfish to be counted upon to do the right thing. It's really a lack of faith in the whole concept that the Will of the People, as expressed through a majority (or plurality) vote, will give us satisfactory results.

...and added in comments that you wrote that piece with me in mind.

OTOH, your core argument, that representative government is a self-correctign system, stands, but in the context of the US's two-party, winner take all system, not so much as say a Parliamentary system.

Another problem of course is that the political class has become a very wealthy, self-interested class that doesn't represent the people as well as it could, and that elections have become an incumbency protection racket.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 07:45:06 AM EST

Re: j'accuse! (none / 1)

The 1% political class only represents itself. The 99% are irrelevant except as hand maidens, butlers, landscapers and a tax base to pay for their wealth acquisition through graft and corruption in government.

The political class "doesn't represent the people as well as it could", they don't represent the people at all. "The People" is just a marketing fantasy taught to us from the get-go, and is a long-sustaining non-reality. The "people" are like the axlotl tanks in the Dune series of sci-fi, birthing repilcants.

Share. Share resources, share delight, share burdens, share the healing. Sharing will bring us back from mass suicide. www.share-international.org

by Isis on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 09:27:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: j'accuse! (none / 1)

believe it or not, brendan, I believe both of those comments and they actually explain each other. The key is time frame. I trust the people to do the right thing eventually, not every time.

by BooMan on Thu Jul 24th, 2008 at 09:44:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

So the Public is Stupid and Ill-Informed | 33 comments (33 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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