The Elympiad

It is pretty obvious, and everyone for the most part agrees, that elections have not worked out well and are nothing more than farcical charades. Young people for the most part do not vote at all. The vast majority of those that do vote do so based on reasons that destroy a democratic process...propaganda catch phrases, the appearance of the candidates, racist attitudes etc. In other words voting is based on ignorance.





Consider that probably not more than a handfull of our 535 representatives in Washington have had a year of Calculus. Most are lawyers or have a business background, yet are in a poistion to make decisions and comments about technical matters such as economics, climate science, spending on scientific research, and other complex socio-economic matters. One might argue that this can work if the blind are smart enough to seek counsel form those in the know. This is pure folly. It is impossible to get good counsel and make wise decisions if they do not even speak the language. In any case smarter representatives will make smarter decisions.





The electorate is in general even less "smart" on average than our representatives. Even the most intelligent of voters do so based on the latest slogans and catch phrases. Let us not even begin to discuss the folly of those that get their information from Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Network and his band of unabashed professional disseminators of propaganda.





Furthermore this is the best case scenario of national elections in which voters actually are slightly informed and actually pay a little attention. Consider local elections where voters walk into a situation where they are nearly 100% unfamiliar with any candidates on the ballot, and the propositions are tangled clollections of double speak where one is required to vote no if in favor and yes if against. Affirmative Action for example. The right wingers claim it is a quota system and the left claims it pevents descrimination based on race etc. The actual wording of the law is full of double negatives and misdirections and is impossible to decipher without great study if at all.





So...waht to do about it all? Elections are a farce and must go. A clearly better alternative is to have a contest every so often, say every 6-8 years, where the winners become our new leaders.


I call this event "The Elympiad". To begin with, using the office of President for example, everyone is eligible who meets certain criteria or passes a series of tests. This is followed by a series of competitive tests that narrows the field progressivley until there are left two finalists. The first tests may be as simple as a civil service exam, and an exam to demonstrate at least one year of calculus proficiency. These may be followed by competitive economics and current events exams sequentially reducing the field.

The finalists could compete in a computer simulated white house for a few weeks with the contestant whose simulated civilation thrives best becoming the new national leader. Congressman and senators could likewise be chosen...unless we further wish to restructure our government as to eliminate these offices and go with some other topology...