Geeks In the Public Forum?

cedarhillbilly writes "In his new book The Geek Manifesto, Mark Henderson 'pleads for citizens who value science to force it onto the mainstream political agenda and other main walks of life.' There are some important questions that need answers: 'Do you have to give up your tech practice to undertake a public role?' Also, 'Is political life (compromise, working by consensus, irrationality) antithetical to the "geek" values?'" The Guardian's coverage sums up the idea nicely: "What I desperately want is a move toward an evidence-based culture in politics. Politicians are free to say: 'I think people on drugs should be punished because drugs are immoral.' That's a moral call, albeit a rather stupid one in my opinion. What they shouldn't do is say: 'I want to reduce drug use, and sending all users to prison is the most cost-effective way to achieve that.' That's not a moral call, it's a factual statement; as such it should be evidence-based, or else the person making it should shut the hell up."

Comments

Religion First

[clickclickdrone]

If you want governments to start basis decisions on logic and sense, you'll need to remove all influence from the religious types first. Until then, we're stuck with some pretty depressingly stupid laws.

Re:What an elitist

[DesScorp]

In short, Mark Henderson wants Technocrats not Politicians running our system. I tend to agree.

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”

  Isaac Asimov

There'd be less anti-intellectualism if so many of our intellectuals weren't such arrogant asses. "I'm smarter than you. You should just shut up and do as I tell you" is not a great way to instill confidence on someone's leadership.

If people want a technocracy, go off somewhere and start one. Live in it yourselves. But I'll lay money that most people would leave it after awhile. Because there's always someone smarter than you, and in such a technocratic system, a lot of egos are going to clash, a lot of toes are going to get stepped on, and a lot of styles are going to get cramped. Technocratically-minded people idealize such a system until that system starts dictating their lives. Good for thee, but not for me is what it would be if you want to be honest about it.