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
1421 Views
Meh
- 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM
762 Views
Re: Meh
- 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM
777 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this.
- 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM
875 Views
surveys are crap anyways.
- 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM
713 Views
That's ignorance speaking.
- 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM
742 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense
- 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM
678 Views
A question?
- 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM
773 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion
- 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM
798 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error*
- 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM
912 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you
- 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM
727 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha
- 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM
853 Views
- 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM
853 Views
why?
*NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM
371 Views
*NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM
371 Views
Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM*
- 23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM
353 Views
This.
- 23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM
769 Views
It's not as simple as "doing what the majority opposes is bad government. "
- 23/03/2010 06:42:04 AM
826 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM*
- 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM
387 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing?
- 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM
748 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist.
- 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM
928 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
738 Views
I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
- 22/03/2010 02:06:41 PM
785 Views
Re: I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
- 22/03/2010 02:12:16 PM
812 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . .
- 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM
852 Views
I think reform had to start now.
- 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM
942 Views
That's a good column.
- 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM
827 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
858 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
- 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM
765 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
- 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM
730 Views
Let's be realistic here at least....
- 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM
729 Views
You must have an interesting definition of "most"
- 22/03/2010 05:43:38 PM
736 Views
My definition of most is obviously quite defective.
- 22/03/2010 08:05:22 PM
778 Views
- 22/03/2010 08:05:22 PM
778 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
344 Views
*NM*
- 22/03/2010 08:15:03 PM
344 Views
I'd say "most" people would agree with my definition of "most" in my original post....
- 23/03/2010 05:16:59 AM
843 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning
- 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM
767 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. )
- 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM
861 Views
bingo
- 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM
884 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it?
- 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM
757 Views
It is a good start
- 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM
720 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog.
- 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM
847 Views
I would say it is rather weak point
- 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM
743 Views
You realize that most countries with socialized healthcare have private healthcare, too.
- 24/03/2010 04:16:28 AM
881 Views
