Frank's Musings

Collaboration emerged as the dominant international government strategy by the end of the war-filled twentieth and earlier centuries.  This was one  result of the thinning of the number of the average, less educated population, who were not as able to avoid violent death as conscripts.  Moreover, the influence of  women on public policy grew as cultural values allowed them to assert their natural resistance to aggression. 

A universally more peaceful era has followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite the continued eruption of local disputes.  Consequently, the proportion of more aggressive actors, with shorter-term time horizons, has regained the majority.  This is a crucial  development in a world whose history has ended with increasing commitment  to democratic rule.  No longer does democracy assure the predominance of thoughtful analysis in world affairs—it skews public policy towards satisfying the everyday concerns of  average persons. 

The idea of democracy, therefore, defeats the ultimate objective of critical- thinking elites—the general welfare.  Achieving that goal requires demonstrating, in an entertaining way, the personal short-term  advantage of postponing individual gratification in pursuit of common benefit.  It takes a showman to pull off that trick. Collaboration emerged as the dominant international government strategy by the end of the war-filled twentieth and earlier centuries.  This was one  result of the thinning of the number of the average, less educated population, who were less able to avoid violent death as conscripts.  Moreover, the influence of  women on public policy grew as cultural values allowed them to assert their natural resistance to aggression. 

A universally more peaceful era has followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite the continued eruption of local disputes.  Consequently, the proportion of more aggressive actors, with shorter-term time horizons, has regained the majority.  This is a crucial  development in a world whose history has ended with increasing commitment  to democratic rule.  No longer does democracy assure the predominance of thoughtful analysis in world affairs—it skews public policy towards satisfying the everyday concerns of  average persons. 

The idea of democracy, therefore, defeats the ultimate objective of critical-thinking elites—the general welfare.  Achieving that goal requires demonstrating, in an entertaining way, the personal short-term  advantage of postponing individual gratification in pursuit of common benefit.  It takes a showman to pull off that trick.