farah, 3 months ago

@melissabeartrix I remember reading somewhere a version of this - “A good leader is the reluctant leader”

MostlyTato, 3 months ago

@melissabeartrix
...and those that seek power are the least suitable to have it. The unfortunate paradox at the heart of society's tragic decline.

davidtheeviloverlord, 3 months ago

@melissabeartrix

In Imperial Earth, Arthur C. Clarke had a future where:

US Presidential candidates were chosen by computer

All candidates had to be qualified

Once chosen, candidates could not refuse to stand

The logic was "We want someone who has to be dragged kicking and screaming into the White House, and once there, does the best job they possibly can."

danjac, 3 months ago

@davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix in "Songs of Distant Earth" he also introduced the idea of president chosen by random, like jury duty.

duckwhistle, 3 months ago

@danjac @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix
David Eddings briefly mentioned a nation that used a lottery method of electing officials.

That seemed like an interesting idea, but also all their assets were liquidised and invested in government bonds, and what they got back at the end of their term depended on the change in value of government assets.
Which sounds like an incentive for corruption to me.

danjac, 3 months ago

@duckwhistle @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix yeah, would be a lot cheaper just to give them the equivalent of a lottery win and a few million to retire on for the rest of their life.

hosford42, 3 months ago

@danjac @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix Isn't that how democracy in ancient Greece worked?

hosford42, 3 months ago

@danjac @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleroterion

hosford42, 3 months ago

@danjac @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix Oh, cool! That form of government has a name, too: sortition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition

xahteiwi, 3 months ago

@melissabeartrix I can confirm this. We had a PM running a "caretaker" government after her predecessor was taken down in a no-confidence vote after a corruption scandal. She was a former Constitutional Court justice. Best government we've had in decades.

Heliograph, 3 months ago

@melissabeartrix that is correct... any leadership can do with little or no ego