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Sep 28, 2020Liked by Harry Cheadle

I would like to believe popular opinion - an "issue public" - would lead at some critical mass, say 25% as in your article. This would validate the democratic principle that people collectively know what is best for them.

Evidence suggests otherwise. Consider electric cars: people will buy them... when they can't buy anything else. This will happen because they are cheaper to make & much cheaper to run, mainly due to having so many fewer moving parts. Manufacturers are already crowding their slate of future offerings with electric models.

Your article makes the entirely valid point that 'democratic' government is incapable of comprehending existential problems, let alone producing meaningful responses. I think the public, collectively, are no different. Innovation & any hope of pulling our feet from the environmental fire comes from research & corporate opportunism, both activities of intellectual elites motivated by passions for knowledge & profit.

The public will consume whatever is offered to them, whether it kills them or not. They will continue to believe in a system of government that would not work in an iron lung, & 'serving their country' - really serving their government - in wars for profit generated by altogether more malicious political & corporate elites.

We are fortunate that a minority value knowledge & problem solving more than personal power. We must hope that they prevail while most of us watch.

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