[extropy-chat] 2-party-system = 1-dimensional politics (was polls again)

[Rafal Smigrodzki]

Stuart, this time I mostly agree with your remarks, especially insofar
as you say that politicians tend to be assholes, but I still think
they are not really the problem - the real problem is insufficient
intelligence of the average citizen and antedeluvian emotional presets
which lead to voter irrationality. I do not approve of the way things
are - but I see it as the result not so much of organized evil but
rather widespread ignorance, negligence, short-sightedness, etc.

I also have a different perspective on the importance of the poor -
there are very few of them left anyway, and they are either not
interested in voting, or, being on average even less intelligent than
average, they cheerfully vote in support of the programs that actively
harm them, like Social Security (which is a regressive taxation scheme
transferring money e.g. from young working blacks to rich retired
whites).

It's a pity that so far most humans can't learn to reject tribal
politics (or religion, the other major form of mass irrationality).
Probably there will be droves of flag-waving evangelicals on the day
the AI announces TEOTWAWKI  :/ but whatever, Singularity ftw!

Rafal