Comment Re:Not smart Enough? (Score 1) 1276
This. I had a conversation with a libertarian, Ron Paul fan, friend of mine that was using the fact that the chairman of the Federal Reserve is appointed, not elected, as a dig against the whole monetary system. My replay was "Good." Essentially, you want the important people in government appointed, and not elected, since people don't vote for technocrats. Anyone good enough and knowledgeable enough about the field their getting appointed to is, generally, not very good at "identifying with the common man", or any of that crap that really isn't useful for setting policy, just for selling it.
In my view, a politician's job is to make experts' recommendations and policies palatable to the masses and democracy gets its value not by providing power to the people (who, if in total control, will probably end up with huge government handouts and unsustainably low taxes, ala California), but by providing the illusion of control by allowing the peaceful deposition of leaders and, therefore, providing social stability, since armed insurrection becomes less necessary, and less of the state needs to be applied in supressing rebellion. This, combined with a predictable and fairish legal system, is, in my opinion, the real value in democracy.
In my view, a politician's job is to make experts' recommendations and policies palatable to the masses and democracy gets its value not by providing power to the people (who, if in total control, will probably end up with huge government handouts and unsustainably low taxes, ala California), but by providing the illusion of control by allowing the peaceful deposition of leaders and, therefore, providing social stability, since armed insurrection becomes less necessary, and less of the state needs to be applied in supressing rebellion. This, combined with a predictable and fairish legal system, is, in my opinion, the real value in democracy.