Re:What Makes Things So Complicated? (Score 1)

"When law is complicated, it's because somebody screwed up or because somebody is hiding a special-interest advantage behind blue smoke and mirrors." While I can understand the frustration techies feel at complex, and often poorly written laws, a statement like this is equally frustrating to lawyers (like me). Yes, sometimes laws are unnecessarily complex. But more often, they are complex because in a democratic system, laws have to reflect the incredible number of interests involved in any particular issue. Public policy problems are far more complex than people often think. Meaningless catch phrases like "use common sense" or "figure out the best solution and implement it" ignore the reality of legislating. Not everyone has "common sense," and even those who do often disagree. In the final analysis, democratic government isn't really about reaching the "best" solution. It's about reaching the solution that the people want. Any other approach is, to varying degrees, undemocratic and in the end, counter-productive. If you want to best solution, go out and convince people you have it.