tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069576.post1286063141392404530..comments2023-10-08T08:37:34.499-07:00Comments on All Intensive Purposes: Call it resolve.t.s.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02474050291507723178noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069576.post-61841221992011248112007-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:002007-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00This is a situation of representative democracy in...This is a situation of representative democracy in action. The question is whether you look for a model of "virtual representation" (i.e. the office-holders doing precisely as the voters want at all times), or whether the office-holders should do what they think is best. <br /><br />Bush has been following and continues to follow the second model. I think his decisions are very frequently wrong, but I certainly don't think he should stick his finger in the air and go with the prevailing wind. Too many politicians do that far too often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11069576.post-74214731585060400222007-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:002007-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00It's not true that the people are "irrelevant" in ...It's not true that the people are "irrelevant" in our democracy, but it is true that our system was designed to protect our leaders from the people, as well as visa versa. <br /><br />The Framers "feared not only the people's rulers but the people themselves, the people in their numbers, the people in their passions, what the Founding Father Edmund Randolph called the "turbulence and follies of democracy""" (Thanks, Robert Caro)<br /><br />Not that listening to the voters on this issue wouldn't be a very good idea, because it would. (Although I'm not actually clear on what we voters want our Iraq policy to be...other than change the course)<br /><br />-AAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com