Dear Friends,
It seems to me, representative democracy, is nothing but a popularity contest. Which means we’re ruled by the most popular… not the most apt, able or wise. Moreover, in a popularity contest, the person willing to go the furthest to pander, denigrate themselves, and slather false affection, wins. Meaning psychopaths have a leg up in any popularity contest. Until they’re found out. Up to then however, a psychopath has an advantage in an election (a popularity contest). Which is why we have so many psychopaths in positions of power. Others have advantages as well. People who are publicly loved outside politics, like Trump is and Reagan was, have some immunity to mud. The rest of us however are subject to personal destruction as a policy of control. Which is deadly in a popularity contest.
Popularity has nothing to do with ability. They’re separate qualities. The popular need not be smart, wise or honest, as Joe Biden proves. Moreover, popularity is severed from results. The charismatic only need plausible deniability to skate from obvious failures and even crimes. Effectively breaking outcome from appearances. One of the fundamental problems with using popularity, as the measure of who should rule, is the popular are at the mercy of their reputations. People with the ability to harm those reputations own those politicians. Since psychopathy is a predictor of popularity, if someone had video of a politician abusing a girl, for example, that psychopathic politician would be a puppet. Making rule by the popular a poor choice… because the popular aren’t the rulers, their blackmailers are.
The reason the elite can’t blackmail or smear Trump, or Reagan for that matter, is their popularity transcends politics. Trump was a reality TV star for a decade before entering politics. Moreover, he was universally liked, until he became a republican. Reagan was a beloved actor. Both men had a history that gave their characters context. Lies only work when there’s no context. Because people who know… know better. Absurd allegations slide off such people as it does teflon. Like when they accused Trump of paying to be peed on. It was too absurd, given what people know of the germophobe, Trump. They called Reagan the teflon President. There are very few who enter the pathological arena of politics who have a history that makes them immune to pukes though. Trump is one.
While rule by the most popular (representative democracy) isn’t ideal, it beats rule by despot or oligarchy by a long shot. History is adamant that all governments fail eventually. I propose part of the reason is… rule by popularity. Which eventually descends into oligarchy and then despotism. Systems where you vote for a party, not an individual, are supposed to address this issue… but they don’t. Parties are led by individuals who lend their popularity to the party. The fundamental flaw of every system, is they eventually collapse, creating chaos, poverty and war. Sub optimal conditions for human prosperity. This catastrophic flaw exists in a republic, with or without representative democracy. Because the problem (of eventual catastrophic failure) exists above the political system level of interpretation.
Failure of our system (rule by popularity) is imminent… judging by the times. The puppeteers who run the show claim elitism means experts are in charge. A self proclaimed expert is no better than a self proclaimed savior. They’re charlatans. Maybe we should think about what could come after the catastrophic failure? While the American system has proven itself innovative, stout and at least tries to appear fair… but the problem of rule by popularity still plagues it. Since the popular are easily controlled. Perhaps someone smarter and wiser than I will come up with a better system. Until then, I say, limit the power, scope and role of government, with transparency and criminal consequences. Because we’re not just limiting the popular… but those that pull their strings as well.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
