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
- 1259 Views
Meh
22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM
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Re: Meh
22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM
- 542 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this.
22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM
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surveys are crap anyways.
22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM
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That's ignorance speaking.
22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM
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well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense
22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM
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A question?
23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM
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I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion
23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM
- 600 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error*
23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM
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On a certain level I do agree with you
23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM
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Ahahahahahahahaha
23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM
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why? *NM*
23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM
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Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM*
23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM
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This.
23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM
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It's not as simple as "doing what the majority opposes is bad government. "
23/03/2010 06:42:04 AM
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I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM*
22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM
- 296 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing?
22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM
- 567 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist.
22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM
- 737 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
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I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
22/03/2010 02:06:41 PM
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Re: I liked former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist's comments.
22/03/2010 02:12:16 PM
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I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . .
22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM
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I think reform had to start now.
22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM
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That's a good column.
22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM
- 633 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
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I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM
- 560 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill
22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM
- 527 Views
Let's be realistic here at least....
22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM
- 547 Views
You must have an interesting definition of "most"
22/03/2010 05:43:38 PM
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My definition of most is obviously quite defective.
22/03/2010 08:05:22 PM
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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
- 273 Views
I'd say "most" people would agree with my definition of "most" in my original post....
23/03/2010 05:16:59 AM
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I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning
22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM
- 540 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. )
23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM
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bingo
24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM
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Next question: WTF do we do about it?
24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM
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It is a good start
22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM
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I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog.
23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM
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I would say it is rather weak point
23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM
- 534 Views
You realize that most countries with socialized healthcare have private healthcare, too.
24/03/2010 04:16:28 AM
- 688 Views