First one? Really? (Politics)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Saturday, June 13, 2009, 16:41 (5640 days ago)
edited by unknown, Saturday, June 13, 2009, 16:47

I'm absolutely amazed that no one has commented on this part of your writing. it is, of course, the shortest section I've come across thus far, but still... - Maybe freethinkers at large don't care about the sphere of politics? I find that hard to believe. - Why you see fewer women historically at the reigns of power is because (and this can be backed up by evidence) women are much more likely to be empathetic than men. Meaning, they find it easier to put themselves in someone else's shoes. For men, by and large--this is an exercise. But the masses of people want decisiveness... you can see this as far back as the second Punic War where the winning strategy (attrition) was set aside because the public (and the senators) wanted a decisive victory. The result was one of the must stunning defeats in Rome's history. - Living in the U.S., I will tell you first hand that politicians who come across as compromisers tend to not do well--because the general public wants decisiveness. They want someone else to make the tough decisions, and leaders who don't display this trait tend to be seen as untrustworthy. They want their decisions fast, and at the minimum, dogma allows this. - Nietzsche has quite a bit of insight into human nature in regards of individuals vs. the masses. In short, when anything is given to the masses they make a mockery of it. Our education system is bad in the U.S., because we've allowed it to be "democratized." Just look at Kansas every 2 years when they want to install creationism with a new school board... - A democratic system virtually guarantees that certain decisions will never be made. (My thought, not Nietzsche's.) No one is willing to give up their seat of power to make a "right" decision that will result in their not being elected again. - Note this distinction however, and it comes from Plato: - Freethinkers are by nature the kind of ideal leaders you discuss--but because they know the gravity of the problems they face, they are much less seeking of power because they are cautious about their ability to wield it for good. In other words, compromising leaders don't seek power because they fear its responsibility--I would say precisely because they think people should make many of their own decisions. - Those who are power-hungry are much too focused on themselves and not on the people that will be affected by their rule that they want to make decisions quickly because its an inconvenience to them. - It is clear we inherited this basic power struggle from our distant apelike ancestors. Sometime... contrast Bonobo societies with chimp societies... it is fascinating.