I think the system in the U.S. (and perhaps in democracy in general) is such that we won't get either profoundly bad or profoundly good leadership. Of course, IMO, it seems that the power of the neo-con movement has shown that to be wrong (see Galbraith quote in "signature").
I've been thinking about how, despite the modern capability of distributing information, far to little good information is distributed. Advertising in general, and political advertising in specific are exercises in "smoke and mirrors". And that is what is required to be elected.
I had the idea of there being a website that listed out all the issues that could be thought off. Candidates could then list their positions on those issues.
But imagine the issue of taxes. A high quality leadership potention candidate posts that tax increases are need (that's what I think). But such is political suicide.
There's a name for a candidate that presents honest, straight forward information about his/her good but painful ideas. It's "election loser".
It's far easier to sell friendly but bad ideas that it is to sell painful but good ideas.
Or something like that.
Moose
Professor, geology, Whatsamatta U
Evolution - Changes in the environment, caused by the interactions of the components of the environment.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will piss on your computer." - Bruce Graham
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." - John Kenneth Galbraith
"Nixon was a professional politician, and I despised everything he stood for ” but if he were running for president this year against the evil Bush-Cheney gang, I would happily vote for him." - Hunter S. Thompson
"I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about a few things, but I'm highly ignorant about everything." - Moose
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