John McCain has been plotting to become US president for decades. So's Hillary, and so's Obama.

This strikes me as weird. Where do these people acquire their unfathomable and grandiose ambitions? What psychological imbalance makes them conspire for decades towards a single goal?

One day democracy will be replaced by something more like jury service. Average Joes will be paid to sit on congressional committees and to make executive decisions. And this will be a good thing. Because the kind of people who strive for political power are often the people least suitable to wield it.

...because democracy by lottery worked so very well when they tried it in Athens.

It is called ambition. It is how successful people get ahead. Pick a goal. Evaluate how you can get to it. Then start working towards it. It is how Edison, Einstien, Ford, Mellon, Rockerfellor, all became succssful. It weeds out the weak. However these three the media has been supporting for so long, I think they would be shocked if someone asked McCain, Obama, or Hillary (don't count her out yet), a tough question.

It's the same with people who go to the Olympics. They train pretty much all of their lives for a singular goal.

or Hillary (don't count her out yet),

What planet are you currently orbiting, just out of curiousity?

GreenwichJ:

One day democracy will be replaced by something more like jury service. Average Joes will be paid to sit on congressional committees and to make executive decisions.

If you break your arm, do you go to an Average Joe to fix it, or do you go to someone with the education and training to fix arm fractures?

..because democracy by lottery worked so very well when they tried it in Athens.

It sort of did, actually. You have problems with Athenian democracy?

steambadger:

..because democracy by lottery worked so very well when they tried it in Athens.

It sort of did, actually. You have problems with Athenian democracy?

Athens's form of direct democracy is what lead to the rise of Alcibiades whose expansionist ambitions ultimately lead to the fall and utter subjugation of Athens itself. Athens's democracy was so "pure" that any shift in opinion would lead to a complete reversal of policy.

For example, imagine the US Civil War's outcome if Lincoln's immense unpopularity in 1833 caused him to be removed from office.

. . . David Eddings, played around with that idea a bit. In one of his books, he briefly describes a society where public service is treated like jury duty or the draft. Someone nominates you for office, you get put into protective custody (to keep you from running away) until the vote. If you win, all your assets are confiscated for the duration of your time in office; the amount you get back depends on your performance.

Or in 1863, when he WAS president.

I would actually prefer the British system where Parliament is much stronger than the American Congress, which allows minor parties greater representation, and also permits them to publicly savage the Prime Minister. I hear McCain is suggesting some Question Time type thing for the States; I was surprised when I agreed with him on something.