Sunday, November 14, 2010

Beginning of a New Era

I have decided to start using this blog again, however I will be blogging about decidedly different topics than Gundam models. I have decided to make this blog an outlet for my ideas about politics, philosophy, and everyday life. The everyday life section may still contain Gundam models, as well as video games and other stuff about me. To start this new "Era" off I thought I would talk about an idea that I have had for quite some time now.

As we are all aware, the Republican party has gained a majority in the House of Representatives thanks to the beautifully informed American voters. For the pass two years of the Obama administration the Republican party has shown that it has no intention to compromise with a President, for better or worse, that is all about compromise. Now the American people have allowed "the party of no" to gain even more ground. What does this say about democracy when the people have voted for a party that prides itself on its inability to cooperate? And how can democracy work when we live in an age of misinformation and blatant propaganda? This last election has shown us what happens when a people are uninformed and simply vote their own prejudices. For those of us that consider ourselves progressives, should we continue to act as if democracy is the greatest form of government?

In a democratic government, representatives are elected based on the beliefs of the population. When it is obvious that that population is rife with unfounded prejudice, how can that government stand strong and protect the rights of the minorities? This is a problem that we see now in the United States, the people are not voting on facts, but rather on their own stubbornly held prejudices. This leads to the elections of buffoons who are not qualified for the job. I would like to propose a form of government that looks not at the people, but at the facts.

The scientific method has done wonders for humankind, why can we not use it in government as well? Instead of holding elections, the person most qualified for the job would be appointed. Indeed, this is not too far removed from Plato's Philosopher King, however checks would be put into place to ensure that no one person became too powerful, i.e. totalitarianism. Also, the government would never have a figure head, which is currently the job of the prime minister or the president. Government would instead be ran by a group of people, similar to the way scientists work. Decisions will be given careful thought--examining what might happen if the decision was put into place. For example, gay-marriage would no longer be a topic of debate. The government would take an unbiased look at the issue and see who, or if it harms anyone, and what are the possible effects that it would have on the economy, society, etc. This would be a government based on observation and the evaluation of evidence, not the prejudices of the majority.

That was rather short, so if anyone would like to criticize my ideas, please feel free to. I am open to argument and my mind may even be changed. Also, if anyone would like me to clarify on any point that may be unclear, please leave a comment.

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