if we required all members of congress to be fiscal experts, would it be hard filling congressional seats?

[ovcatto]

Originally Posted by hilgi

We have a constitution and bill of rights in place to protect us from smart people and their experiments.

We need leaders who understand this and work for us.

I would think that the problem is that there are some genuinely smart people on both sides of the aisle who are working for some really stupid people, which was one of the Framers of the Constitutions greatest fears and concerns, how to insulate the nation's governance from the ignorance and passions of the people.

Sort of funny how that all works out.

[hilgi]

Originally Posted by ovcatto

I would think that the problem is that there are some genuinely smart people on both sides of the aisle who are working for some really stupid people, which was one of the Framers of the Constitutions greatest fears and concerns, how to insulate the nation's governance from the ignorance and passions of the people.

Sort of funny how that all works out.

That is true, there is that also. People look to government as Santa Claus. The problem is we do have "smart" people who are very good at manipulation and fanning the flames of the masses.

[pvande55]

It would be about impossible. Members of Congress are elected based on how much money they spend and how well they sell themselves to the public. You complain they are not fiscal experts after they take office, but it starts in the election campaign. Spend millions of dollars and numerous hours of your time for a job that only pays $174k? Nobody with any financial expertise would do that.

[grimace8]

asking for a modest amount of finance-related credentials is not alot to ask for

i guess we americans get what we deserve

[grimace8]

Originally Posted by pvande55

Spend millions of dollars and numerous hours of your time for a job that only pays $174k? Nobody with any financial expertise would do that.

yes, that's why i asked on page 1: how can government attract them?

[stan4]

Originally Posted by geofra

How much of a fiscal expert does one have to be to understand "living within one's means"?

The problem is the same with giving almost anyone access to money they didn't earn. They are not very judicious about spending it.

Ladies and gentlemen, your congress...

[cdelena]

We need integrity and common sense in our leaders... both seem to be rare.

[stan4]

“When we are sick, we want an uncommon doctor; when we have a construction job to do, we want an uncommon engineer, and when we are at war, we want an uncommon general. It is only when we get into politics that we are satisfied with the common man.”

Herbert Hoover

[NHartphotog]

Originally Posted by ovcatto

Well hell, why not, require every legislator to be a constitutional scholar, an economist, an expert on emerging technologies, a social scientist, a historian, a military expert, an environmental scientist, a nuclear physicist, and an expert in foreign affairs while we are at it?

Considering that almost all our legislators today (with the exception of maybe Ron and Rand Paul and Dennis Kucinich) are sporting demonstrated IQs of 65 or less, are totally lacking in common sense, are 100% corrupt, are criminally financially negligent, and are loyal only to their corporate owners and Special Interests, I don't understand the point of the above statement. Americans have come to expect such abysmal performance from our elected leaders that if some of them simply had a bit of common sense or fiscal integrity, we would be thrilled.

Considering that legislators are given incredibly generous benefit packages and pay (not to mention massive power and guaranteed no-show high-paying corporate careers later to permanently ensure their royalty-level lifestyles), we should be getting a very high quality of leader. And that would be the case, if the method for selecting them was not guaranteed to produce a horrendously bad result (must be well-financed by those expecting government largess in return; must be simplistic and un-intellectual enough to appeal to the sheeple; must give rousing but uninformative speeches; must be corrupt to trade tax dollars for campaign contributions; must be power-mad and manipulative to gain political power; must love to spend tax money).

It seems obvious to me that a person with decent intelligence would have no problem researching and understanding constitutional law, economics, technology and industry, social sciences, history, the military, the environmental, nuclear physics as it applies to nuclear power and weapons, and foreign affairs--particularly if it was your career. Many on C-D have discussed all these topics and more, when they are simply a matter of intellectual curiosity and lifetime learning.

[ergohead]

Originally Posted by hilgi

That is true, there is that also. People look to government as Santa Claus. The problem is we do have "smart" people who are very good at manipulation and fanning the flames of the masses.

If only bureaucrats were elves.