Can we stop electing "idiots"?

 Politics was once understood to be about more than winning power and serving special interests. Aristotle said governments which "aim at the common advantage are correct and just... whereas those which aim only at the advantage of the rulers are deviant and unjust.

The above quote is from the Huffington Post.
Click to read the rest here.

I read an article from The Guardian website today and was amazed at the things people think about politicians. They are not the most knowledgeable people. They are just confident folks. Where they get their confidence from still remains a wonder to me. People would think that intelligent people should be the most confident but it is not true. Intelligent people rather look timid! They always want to speak the truth. On the other hand, unintelligent people feel confident and persuasive. They are comfortable with all manner of people.

If a country is run by idiots, what do you expect to go right in that country?

It has been said in some quarters that most politicians are idiots. Hence, they can convince the masses to follow any path with the least resistance.

During the times we were lucky to have intelligent people tell us the truth, we crucified them without thinking. We don't want to hear the truth. We want to hear things that appeal to our emotions. We even go further to castigate intelligent people in defence of idiots. We are okay with the mediocrity that surrounds us as a people. We will resist the facts and rather listen to myths. We will insult people with tangible solutions to our problems but hail those who engage us in trivialities. What is wrong with us?

Maybe, it is all not our fault. Maybe, it is because the truth is bitter. Maybe, we were conditioned to not accept truth and intelligence. Maybe, we are just making do with what we have aplenty. We cannot entirely be blamed for how we do things, including electing politicians to high office.

But the truth is that we can't elect idiots and expect improved living conditions. We can't continue to elect idiots and still be too expectant of them. Confidence without intelligence is useless to a man in trouble. He may know he would get out of it but is not assured of the time. He lacks foresight. His confidence is blind.

That is why we should stop electing people who only appeal to our conscience; people who think you are like them only when they need you to vote for them. That is why we should stop allowing ourselves to be treated like idiots by idiots.

What do you think? Share your thoughts here.