Thursday 9 June 2011

Who voted for this?



I have just seen an item on the BBC News website saying that the Archbishop of Canterbury is warning that the government is committing Britain to "radical, long-term policies for which no-one voted". The full article can be found here - BBC News article .


I have a problem with the whole concept that people should feel that they can vote on important and complex issues. I like to think that I am reasonably intelligent, however I certainly do not understand what needs to be done to fix the economy or to ensure the survival and viability of the NHS. So I really struggle with the concept that the average man in the street, with an average intellect should feel that they can decide what happens. Anyone who did understand the concepts is more likely to be driven by self-interest than by a desire to fix things for the greater good. For example, if I am asked whether I want my local hospital to close, offer fewer services or expand then I'm likely to say 'expand'. The chances are that this is the wrong decision (or at the very least the right decision for the wrong reason). 


We need to accept that the average person is not the right person to make complex decisions about some things. If I had a broken leg then I'd rather have the opinion of an intelligent and trained doctor than a *ahem* less bright and ignorant carpet fitter. Of course this does depend on our elected representatives being capable of making the right decisions rather than lining their own pockets of pandering to popularity, but I'll save that one for another day.  

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