Earth and 21st Century Elected Officials

I know some folks don't like it when I get abstract and deviate from straight scoop about an election, but feel compelled to express my view that part of the problem in this country is that we too often elect poorly educated idiots.

Unfortunately our system tends to render elected office more accessible to the wealthy, well connected, and arrogant than to the talented, meritorious, and good. I know some people of sound mind and intellect who really do espouse the view that no truly decent person will run for office.

The early Greek philosophers recognized this shortcoming of a democracy, and if we're honest, we know our founding fathers didn't intend that just anyone should run for office. They believed in minimal credentials of some kind, I dunno, maybe the equivalent of the cerebral horsepower (and willingness to engage it) to know, as a world leader in 2006, that the internet is not composed of pipes.

Well, if we were to say certain characteristics should be possessed by those running for office, what would they be? For what they're worth, my remarks, and I call this person the "21st Century Elected Official."

The 21st Century Official is an individual who obtains the education and develops the awareness necessary to understand the need for global solutions.

21st Century Elected Officials will have a strong command of world history, political science, and economics, enough to develop a deep understanding of the forces involved on the planet and the ability to anticipate the consequences of certain actions. They will be avid readers and consumers of information, committed to constantly deepening their grasp of world events, and their perspective will be one of lifelong learning and the constant need to expand, the opposite of "I already know and don't need to learn more."

Their commitment to serving the public good will be authentic.

Their spirituality will transcend the right/wrong of particular religious views and recognize the necessity of allowing individuals to pursue their own convictions free of judgment. That cuts both ways. You want yours? Then let your neighbor have hers. Period.

They will serve those they represent, but they will serve the people they represent with the genuine understanding that what is best for those they represent is what is best for those they represent AND everyone else. Win/Lose and Either/Or need to die. We must embrace the AND. The 19th minute of A Beautiful Mind is fabulous.

The "every man for himself, every corporation for itself, every nation for itself, every religion for itself" Adam Smith paradigm will get us all killed. That doesn't mean we expose our throats to those who wish to kill us. The solution will require new thinking.

For example, consider the puzzle of the man with the lettuce, the lamb, and the wolf, who has a boat that can cross the river carrying only one of these at a time. If he takes the lettuce first, the wolf eats the lamb while he crosses. If he takes the wolf, the lamb eats the lettuce. If he takes the lamb first, ok, but oh wait, what does he take next?

There is a solution to this famous problem. The 21st Century Elected Official is the one who can dwell in such challenges with an openness to new ideas and the eagerness to find them, the one who embraces science and the knowledge it uncovers, the one who stands for progress. The 21st Century Elected Official is the opposite of those who impede progress to defend points of view that have become obsolete.