The populous is often ignorant and ill-informed (given the vast quantities of information people now have to pick through to find the unbiased facts, and how few people do so, I still think these are valid labels).
Theoretically, the politicians should have a knowledge/expert-base available to make decision that the ignorant lay person would err on out of ignorance. While they should take the desires and motivations of their constituency into account, it is also their responsibility to use their (theoretical) greater knowledge to make a better and more informed decision than your average grocer would make. In fact, I would say it is a failure of the politician to make a decision that appeases his constituency rather than helps them. Not to say that the desires of his constituents should not be considered. Just that I think it is a disservice to merely appease your "clients" than actually serve them.
But I'm going into a medical profession, so I might have an unrealistic point of view on the matter.
Theoretically, the politicians should have a knowledge/expert-base available to make decision that the ignorant lay person would err on out of ignorance. While they should take the desires and motivations of their constituency into account, it is also their responsibility to use their (theoretical) greater knowledge to make a better and more informed decision than your average grocer would make. In fact, I would say it is a failure of the politician to make a decision that appeases his constituency rather than helps them. Not to say that the desires of his constituents should not be considered. Just that I think it is a disservice to merely appease your "clients" than actually serve them.
But I'm going into a medical profession, so I might have an unrealistic point of view on the matter.
I think people on the whole are idiots that rarely know what they are talking about and prefer to hear biased propaganda from one side or the other of an argument rather than unbiased facts that allow them to come to their own conclusion. Generally speaking I think it's pretty fair to say that I think the average intelligence level of people in this country, and really worldwide, is nothing to be proud of.
That said....I think that in a majority of situations the people that represent us in Congress should be primarily concerned with what their constituents want, because they were elected to represent and speak for their constituents. Obviously they have to do so within reason, but in situations where the public has had plenty of time to make up their mind about a specific bill or issue and you go against your constituent's desires, then I think you are doing them a disservice.
I don't know that any health care bill was ever going to get wide spread support though, so I'll take this one, and hope that the areas where I personally think there needs to be a lot more work done get the attention they need, and that the health care system gets fixed once and for all.
No posts on the bill passing?
- 22/03/2010 08:22:27 AM
1508 Views
Meh
- 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM
844 Views
Re: Meh
- 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM
869 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this.
- 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM
963 Views
surveys are crap anyways.
- 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM
805 Views
That's ignorance speaking.
- 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM
831 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense
- 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM
761 Views
A question?
- 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM
859 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion
- 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM
892 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error*
- 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM
999 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you
- 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM
811 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha
- 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM
939 Views
- 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM
939 Views
why?
*NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM
412 Views
*NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM
412 Views
Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM
389 Views
This.
- 23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM
864 Views
It's not as simple as "doing what the majority opposes is bad government. "
- 23/03/2010 06:42:04 AM
924 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM*
- 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM
427 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing?
- 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM
835 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist.
- 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM
1018 Views
Re: I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist.
- 22/03/2010 02:01:07 PM
827 Views
I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
- 22/03/2010 02:06:41 PM
875 Views
Re: I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
- 22/03/2010 02:12:16 PM
900 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . .
- 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM
937 Views
I think reform had to start now.
- 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM
1022 Views
That's a good column.
- 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM
907 Views
Yea, he's going to be adding to it all day, trying to explain the various facets of the bill.
- 22/03/2010 03:05:03 PM
951 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
- 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM
846 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
- 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM
820 Views
Let's be realistic here at least....
- 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM
819 Views
You must have an interesting definition of "most"
- 22/03/2010 05:43:38 PM
838 Views
My definition of most is obviously quite defective.
- 22/03/2010 08:05:22 PM
850 Views
- 22/03/2010 08:05:22 PM
850 Views
As long as you define "most" as "some time" you're just fine with it as it stands
*NM*
- 22/03/2010 08:15:03 PM
386 Views
*NM*
- 22/03/2010 08:15:03 PM
386 Views
I'd say "most" people would agree with my definition of "most" in my original post....
- 23/03/2010 05:16:59 AM
932 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning
- 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM
852 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. )
- 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM
944 Views
bingo
- 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM
969 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it?
- 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM
856 Views
It is a good start
- 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM
799 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog.
- 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM
941 Views
I would say it is rather weak point
- 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM
832 Views
You realize that most countries with socialized healthcare have private healthcare, too.
- 24/03/2010 04:16:28 AM
964 Views
