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Was pondering over this myself. You go to the dentist for your oral health. You ask a civil engineer to build your home. You have a teacher to teach your kids.

by ap46 11y ago

Was pondering over this myself. You go to the dentist for your oral health. You ask a civil engineer to build your home. You have a teacher to teach your kids. So you need people with knowledge to run your country as well.

vox_mollis 11y ago
Say what you want about monarchies and the aristocracy, but they were bred, educated, and raised specifically to govern, and had a vested interest in governing well -- lest they and their progeny be eliminated violently by the governed.
- steve19 11y ago
  the problem is all to often they stop trying to govern and instead spent their time preventing any chance of revolt (see North Korea, the last Kings of France)
- jqm 11y ago
  The problem with that idea is that there wasn't an orderly way to replace rulers when they ceased to govern effectively. So you might get one good king then a string of bad ones. Example: Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus. Being bred and raised to govern isn't a good thing in some people. It gives them a sense of entitlement that makes them ineffective. Far better people should have to try out for the position. Which is of course how many dynasties originally begin. Democracy kind of sucks in ways, but it mostly works better than government by "specialists". Really I can't wait for government by machine. I have to suppose it's inevitable given time.
  - vox_mollis 11y ago
    The problem with that idea is that there wasn't an orderly way to replace rulers when they ceased to govern effectively Fair point, but it's not unheard of. Pepin the Short is probably the most famous example of how it could happen.
  - AnimalMuppet 11y ago
    > Really I can't wait for government by machine. It's the same problem. What if you get a bad machine?
AdeptusAquinas 11y ago
Yes. However the sad fact is (sad at least if you dont like politicians) that politicians ARE the knowledge class for ruling. Technocratic views always seem to me to be a variant of the 'old physicist' problem (http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2556); http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2556); that is, smart people in a given field wrongly assuming they are just generally smart, rather than specifically.

by ap46 11y ago

vox_mollis 11y ago

Say what you want about monarchies and the aristocracy, but they were bred, educated, and raised specifically to govern, and had a vested interest in governing well -- lest they and their progeny be eliminated violently by the governed.

steve19 11y ago
the problem is all to often they stop trying to govern and instead spent their time preventing any chance of revolt (see North Korea, the last Kings of France)
jqm 11y ago
The problem with that idea is that there wasn't an orderly way to replace rulers when they ceased to govern effectively. So you might get one good king then a string of bad ones. Example: Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus. Being bred and raised to govern isn't a good thing in some people. It gives them a sense of entitlement that makes them ineffective. Far better people should have to try out for the position. Which is of course how many dynasties originally begin. Democracy kind of sucks in ways, but it mostly works better than government by "specialists". Really I can't wait for government by machine. I have to suppose it's inevitable given time.
- vox_mollis 11y ago
  The problem with that idea is that there wasn't an orderly way to replace rulers when they ceased to govern effectively Fair point, but it's not unheard of. Pepin the Short is probably the most famous example of how it could happen.
- AnimalMuppet 11y ago
  > Really I can't wait for government by machine. It's the same problem. What if you get a bad machine?

AdeptusAquinas 11y ago

Yes. However the sad fact is (sad at least if you dont like politicians) that politicians ARE the knowledge class for ruling. Technocratic views always seem to me to be a variant of the 'old physicist' problem (http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2556); http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2556); that is, smart people in a given field wrongly assuming they are just generally smart, rather than specifically.