The Internet is not a truck

21st July 2006

It’s a great strength of any democratic system that experts are held accountable by interested and engaged non-experts, who represent the community at large.

But it’s a bit troubling that a senior senator, debating a complex issue like ‘net neutrality’ can seriously say, when describing the Internet - “It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes.”

Chunky policy issues like stem cells, GM foods, serious fraud, climate change and the Middle East all seem to demand at least some baseline understanding of what’s going on.

Yet the final decisions are in the hands of people who do not need to demonstrate any competence, ability, expertise or even basic literacy.

To even consider applying such standards would be seen as profoundly anti-democratic.

But there has to be point when we as citizens are we allowed to say “Sorry, you’re actually not the guy we want to make the decision on this” when you can’t demonstrate even a passing acquaintance with the complexities of the issue.

In other words, how stupid does a politician have to be before we’re allowed to call them on it?

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One Response to “The Internet is not a truck”

David, July 31st, 2006

Unfortunately most politicians are stupid. Thick even. They are a rare breed that exist solely on their ability to lie a lot, promise the earth to the poor, and pass their genes onto power-struck weathergirls, while still wearing their chelsea replicas. Call them on it? We voted them in for it.