shminux comments on Rationality Quotes July 2012 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: RobertLumley 04 July 2012 12:29AM

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Comment author: shminux 02 July 2012 06:07:27PM 8 points [-]

Rational politician:

It certainly isn't the government's job to educate voters. Our system is designed to make candidates compete for votes, and the most effective way to compete is by appealing to emotion and ignorance. The last thing a politician wants is to be labeled professorial. That's the same as boring.

Dilbert blog

Comment author: Emile 04 July 2012 03:45:57PM 2 points [-]

I don't see the implied link between

It certainly isn't the government's job to educate voters.

... and

Our system is designed to make candidates compete for votes, and the most effective way to compete is by appealing to emotion and ignorance.

The fact that appealing to emotion works to get elected doesn't mean that elected politicians have any incentive one way or the other towards educating voters.

Comment author: AspiringRationalist 04 July 2012 08:26:01PM 1 point [-]

The fact that appealing to emotion works to get elected doesn't mean that elected politicians have any incentive one way or the other towards educating voters.

That's the point. They have no incentive one way or another, so it's not their job. The quote doesn't say it's their job not to, just that it isn't their job.

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