I know this isn't a very popular opinion, especially in America, but I don't support democracy. I know that people around the world who have been forced to live under oppressive forms of government might pine for democracy, and that reenforces our view that it's the greatest form of government to ever ever exist, but that isn't proof enough for me. I personally feel that a geniocratic oligarchy would be the best form of government. A geniocratic oligarchy would essentially be a government of a few specially chosen experts or geniuses.
The Simpsons did a spot-on parody of the common mis-conception that such a government would work. It would be full of know-it-all's and comic-book guys butting heads. This is not the government I envision a government where only qualified people get to vote on issues they actually are educated on. Maybe a happy medium could be a short standardized test before choosing a candidate or position on a ballot measure.
Sometimes there are things that we vote on that we don't really know about. We just vote based on TV commercials and party lines, and I don't think that is anyway to determine public policy. For example if there ever were to be a ballot measure on educational standards, why should I, someone who knows little about education, and has yet only been subjected to some, vote on it. We should have experts, who usually disagree (but at least know WHY they disagree) vote on it.
Democracy is too easily exploited, but science (though it may be proven wrong often enough, in time) is usually pretty fair. This seems like a pretty honest way to decide things, let the experts talk it out. I know the illusion of choice and control turns a lot of people on, but I'd rather just weigh in on the things I know.
There is one thing though, that pretty much everyone understands, and that is love. Love is a universal and everyone should be qualified to vote on it. Unfortunately, people continue to strike down gay marriage, and wrongly control other people's love. This another one of democracies failings, when we allow on whatever's popular to be right, we subject ourselves to the will of imbeciles (most people). I imagine democracy is much like having a shepherd allow the sheep to choose which direction to go to graze.
I trust that in time, even sheep would be smart enough to graze in the right pasture. I applaud Obama for coming out in support of Gay Marriage today, but I also, understand the democratic principles that kept him from doing so for this long. In a popularity contest, you can only do what's right just before it's cool. If you do it too, soon, no one will remember that you were the trend setter. You have to wait until people are on the cusp of belief. God help us if anything more important that institutionalized sodomy actually has to be decided on in this country.
The Simpsons did a spot-on parody of the common mis-conception that such a government would work. It would be full of know-it-all's and comic-book guys butting heads. This is not the government I envision a government where only qualified people get to vote on issues they actually are educated on. Maybe a happy medium could be a short standardized test before choosing a candidate or position on a ballot measure.
Sometimes there are things that we vote on that we don't really know about. We just vote based on TV commercials and party lines, and I don't think that is anyway to determine public policy. For example if there ever were to be a ballot measure on educational standards, why should I, someone who knows little about education, and has yet only been subjected to some, vote on it. We should have experts, who usually disagree (but at least know WHY they disagree) vote on it.
Democracy is too easily exploited, but science (though it may be proven wrong often enough, in time) is usually pretty fair. This seems like a pretty honest way to decide things, let the experts talk it out. I know the illusion of choice and control turns a lot of people on, but I'd rather just weigh in on the things I know.
There is one thing though, that pretty much everyone understands, and that is love. Love is a universal and everyone should be qualified to vote on it. Unfortunately, people continue to strike down gay marriage, and wrongly control other people's love. This another one of democracies failings, when we allow on whatever's popular to be right, we subject ourselves to the will of imbeciles (most people). I imagine democracy is much like having a shepherd allow the sheep to choose which direction to go to graze.
I trust that in time, even sheep would be smart enough to graze in the right pasture. I applaud Obama for coming out in support of Gay Marriage today, but I also, understand the democratic principles that kept him from doing so for this long. In a popularity contest, you can only do what's right just before it's cool. If you do it too, soon, no one will remember that you were the trend setter. You have to wait until people are on the cusp of belief. God help us if anything more important that institutionalized sodomy actually has to be decided on in this country.
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