Maybe, maybe not democracy

The older I get, the more I wonder about democracy. I know it’s a good system but I just can’t get my head around a few minor points.

For example, why do political candidates spend so much money to get jobs that pay so little? Are they that civic-minded?

Why does our government allow lobby groups to control the election process? Is it because of hidden, and not so hidden, donations? And after the elections, why does our government allow lobby groups to control the legislation put forth by the politicians? Of yeah, I forgot. Once the politicians are in, then they can pay back the lobbyists with favorable legislation.

Why doesn’t the government pass legislation for term limits? Oh yeah, I forgot, that would mean the politicians essentially would be firing themselves.

Why doesn’t the government want to deal with hard issues such as Medicare, Social Security, welfare and the budget deficit? Oh yeah, I forgot, they would prefer to deal with the short term problems rather than deal with the really crucial issues as they affect us over time. I give you Medicare, Social Security, welfare, and the budget deficit.

Why do members of Congress have a different health plan than regular citizens? And a different retirement plan? Oh yeah, I forgot, they create their own health plans and their own retirement plans. What they say is good for us isn’t good enough for them.

These are just a few of the issues I wonder about. And then I read some words from a guy who lived 3,000 years before Christ, and I really begin to wonder if we really do have the best system. It seems Plato was not a libertarian but someone who favored authority. Not authority like we saw with Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini or Castro, but authority nonetheless. Plato thought there had to be a better method to find good leadership than just holding an election where any buffoon could run for office. You see, Plato didn’t trust buffoons. (For examples, see either “Webster’s Dictionary” or attend a Lafourche Parish Council meeting.)

More and more, I see two things happening in politics. The candidate who spends the most amount of money usually wins. The most unethical candidate usually wins. (See the attack ads during elections. It’s not what the candidate can do for us but how horrible a human being his opponent is.) And the candidate who lusts for power usually wins. Now stop and think for a minute. Is that what we want in our officials? Rich, power-hungry jerks who could care less about us and more about staying in office for as long as humanly possible?

Here’s what Plato suggested: Everyone goes to school for a certain amount of time, then a test is given. All who pass, stay in school. Those who don’t, leave school and go out and find whatever type of work that pleases them. These people will become the blue-collar workers of society, the electricians, plumbers, tree cutters, golf pros, members of the Lafourche council and so forth.

After a few more years, a second test is given. Those few that pass stay in school and the rest go out into the world to become the white-collar workers, the doctors, engineers, teachers and such.

And what about those few who passed both tests and who choose to stay in school? They study to become philosopher kings. They study to be good leaders who care about the greater good, who really are civic-minded, who are trained to be humble, to be statesman, to be diplomatic. Leaders who are the smartest in society, not the loudest or the sweetest talkers.

And who are their bosses? The people who failed the first two tests.

Go figure.

With these types of leaders and this type of system, we would never need elections. With the kind of savings that would mean, we’d have enough money to declare war on another Middle Eastern country.