Question of the day (my bold):
As a voter (and an academic), I don’t think university degrees make a politician good or bad. There are many educated fools out there. What worries me is whether we, the voters, are any good at deciding whether we are voting for the best candidates, or understanding whether the policies of those we elect would work. Would our democracy work better if we, the voters, were smarter? That doesn’t necessarily require a degree or two either. Flaco (@ 10:41).
S/he is responding to a column on intellectual snobbery in parliament in which Claire Trevett syas the university of life is the best qualification for politicians.
Homepaddock 
We didn’t vote for many of the prats who inhabit the hallowed halls of power – the fricken list committees appointed them.
We don’t have a democracy, we have an oligarchy and farcical elections every year where we go to the ballot box and kid ourselves we are having a say.
Meanwhile the political elites depredations grow every year
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It was well known way in the past, that University Students when they were taken on for holiday jobs ( freezing works . Large manufacturers etc ) ..
DID NOT HAVE AN OUNCE OF COMMON SENSE BETWEEN THEM..
What has changed ??..
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Not me Adam, I had done an apprenticeship before I went and had my trade certificate in Fitting and Turning.
What surprised me when I got there though was how closed minded and dumb the people on campus really were.
I expected a place of open, frank and interesting discussion and a seeking after knowledge
The real eye opener came when the National Member of Parliament for Invercargill (this would be Norman Jones, who our host no doubt remembers) was invited to address the Students and the poor bugger could not be heard for the catcalls, boos and hisses from the assembled body.
A character next to me commented in my ear, “the people of Invercargill must be really stupid to vote for this fool “.
“I wouldn’t know” I replied “I don’t know what he is about because I haven’t heard a word he has said”
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Democracy will never work, we’ve known that for years. Minarchy is our only hope, every dollar becomes a vote.
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