Political ambitions

I have complained before in this blog on the nature of the California Proposition system, which basically has voters vote directly on legislation drafted by special interest groups rather than having law makers draft and ratify laws. But I was reading something today about the dearth of qualified politicians here in Iceland, and that of course is a matter of considerable concern to everyone here. I think the banking crisis made Icelanders begin to question not just the fitness of bankers in this country but also the politicians, or anyhow, the lawmakers. Those are actually two different things, which the California system very clearly points out. Though I find the proposition system cumbersome, I was realizing today that I also find it fascinating. I always want to read through them all, including the fine print for issues I cannot decide on or care a lot about. On the other hand, politics--anything from elections for student body president to local mayoral elections to national elections--have never interested me that much. It is like a sporting event without the physical grace, I just cannot get that fired up about elections or political parties. Legislation, that I can get fired up about.

Anyhow, it is my hope that in the future, the brightest, most caring, and most informed Icelanders will get elected to office and that they will draft well-targeted, well-thought out laws. They should also be good looking, just to keep people like me interested in the election itself.

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