Politicians, experts, and lying to the public

Ed Wallace has some pithy thoughts on the role of experts in governing the country, and why politicians don't want real experts . . . just malleable ones. Here's an extract.

That's the real secret of how our government functions, and it's why time after time Washington keeps hiring incompetents severely lacking in personal integrity: Because Washington refuses to hire critical thinkers who tell it like it is.

It's why Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Federal Reserve, will likely never head up the Fed nationally: Too much integrity, too honest and too willing to tell it like it is. Instead we get Ben Bernanke, who - even as the mortgage market was collapsing - told the public that everything was contained and the cost would be insignificant.

When Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told the Bush White House that by law he had to prepare a study on deficits and future financial commitments by our government for Congress, the White House told him to hold up; they wanted another round of tax cuts. When O'Neill refused to back down because of the huge federal deficits he saw coming, he was fired.

You see, government hires people they can call experts, and some are. But what the government really wants is individuals who will follow orders and simply sell the public on whatever program government wants to institute - even if said program is detrimental to the citizenry's well being. And by adding Larry Summers, Tim Geithner and Carol Browner to appointee payroll, Obama has proven he's the same old same old.

There's more at the link.

I'd say he's probably right. Politicians don't want the truth from their 'tame' experts. All they want to hear is confirmation that their policies are the fruit of their undoubted genius, and will be a blessing to the people, who will therefore vote for them next election. Heaven forbid that their hired experts should actually say, or stand up for, what's right! Just ask J. Christian Adams about that . . .





Peter