There is a great, short and sweet editorial in today's Wall Street Journal noting just how well Israel's policy of fighting terror has worked. (Imagine if they'd gone even stronger.) Often, the best way to save lives of innocent people is to stop listening to the people who keep whining about how you do things.
Elsewhere, this video reminded me of Churchill's supposed quote: "The best argument against democracy is five minutes with the average voter." I recall months ago my brother telling me about listening to the radio from Cleveland after a big speech by Obama there; the (rather leftist) station in Cleveland was interviewing people, asking them what they liked. They all loved his charisma, his energy, etc... but when asked to name a singly policy they liked, they all had not a word to say. Even the [leftist] host of the show was disappointed that there seemed to be little substance behind the talented speaker.
that video sums up everything thats wrong with Obama so well. Without making Hillary's point, its all words. Words don't enact change, people do. The guy probably has the LEAST amount of experience and the shortest resume in the entire Senate. The guy has mamash done zilch. Love Hillary or hate her, she has done stuff. (tons of Jewish tzedakahs in NY which can atest to that)
ReplyDeleteThe ignorance factor only undermines the epistemic argument for democracy, which argues that a country will emerge with better policies the more people vote, since the aggregate policies of a large number of people are more likely to be better than those chosen by a smaller number of people. But if the voters are ignorant, that argument fails.
ReplyDeleteBut the ignorance of the average voter has nothing to do with moral argument, which claims that each person has a right to self-govern.
What chaim said!
ReplyDeleteGotta be careful with that cult of personality. Very, very careful.
Nephtuli - Agreed. I almost added a point about that doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to vote; merely that it's an important point to remember. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteRe: Eretz Yisroel
ReplyDeleteIt may not sound very modern and it may not be the cleanest way but thankfully some people still understand how you need, unfortunately, to deal with certain oppositions:
"They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue."
Obama has spelled out his policies. If you want that, go to his website. He doesn't go into detail during his speeches, because that's not what works with the average voter. (Remember Al Gore and his "lockbox?")
ReplyDeleteAlso, he's not running as a candidate with extremely unique policies -- he isn't that far from Clinton, policywise. He's running as a man who will bring a new tone to Washington -- and so conveying that tone, rather than policy nitty-gritty, makes a lot of sense.
I'm supporting Obama because I think he really does have the best judgment of all the candidates. (I base that on not just his position before the Iraq war, but the way he speaks about subjects -- in detail -- in interviews.) But I'm also supporting him because I think he has a unique ability to inspire and persuade. Rather than cobbling together 50% support with 49% of the country hating him, I think he'll be able to govern with 60% approval rates. I think he has the potential to bring the whole electorate back towards the left.
People just like him. That might not be fair and maybe they don't have good reasons for liking him, but damn if that isn't a good quality in a decent politician. Yes, Chana, it can be dangerous in a bad one. But I don't think he is a bad one.
The american public is hugely ignorant and the higher ups like it that way. I remember when Clinton was running for re-election the main complaint people had against Dole (yes it was a long time ago, but hopefully SerandEz readers can remember)was that he was boring. all the Democrats could really say about him was "boring". looking back, what should americans prefer...boring? or monica lewinsky?
ReplyDeleteThe american public is hugely ignorant and the higher ups like it that way.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but why shouldn't any individual voter be ignorant? What utility does being knowledgeable bring him?
People have no duty to follow politics.