Daily Musings -4/18/2016-Complexity and Democracy

A Simpler Election System - Complexity over democracy

During the past few weeks we have seen a flurry of attacks on the RNC based on its use of the "rules" of it Convention where a Candidate for the Presidency will be selected.

The argument from the Trump side is that the rules are clearly unfair. They permit party operatives and bosses to control what delegates get chosen to go to the Convention regardless of who won the state/congressional district, or caucus where a candidate was selected.  The delegate may be pledged to vote for the chosen candidate on the first ballot, but rarely past the third ballot. Then internal party politics, pressure groups, and national leaders can determine the eventual winner of the Candidacy for President.  This year, there is a concentrated effort, with hundreds of millions of dollars behind it, to keep Trump from wining on the first ballot, and then to keep him from being the candidate at all.

The Cruz/RNC argument is that these rules have been known for decades, that it is up to the candidate to know the rules and work within them, that if he does not know them, they should cost him delegates and even the Candidacy.

This same argument is made concerning income tax rules, civil and criminal laws. We, as citizens, are supposed to know them all by heart, and suffer the consequences of not knowing them by going to jail or losing money depending on which laws are applied to them.

Complexity is the bane of democracy. Rules that are not applied whenever those that would apply them are satisfied with the outcome (like Romney, for example) can be taken out and applied if the "people" make the mistake of trying to elect the wrong candidate. Simplicity is the only solution that protects democracy.

In selecting a President and primary rules, I believe the following are simple and comprehensive rules:
1. All candidates that win votes in any caucus, referendum, primary, keep those votes forever. They can trade them as they will, but only the person that got the votes gets to dispose of them.
2. Delegates to the Convention can be selected as they currently are, but do not participate in the selection of the Presidential candidate.  They can demonstrate, train, and communicate. They cannot vote since that has already been done by the voters that selected the Candidates in each venue.
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A Simpler Law System - Complexity over democracy

This is the same argument that we, the voters are responsible for the millions of laws passed by Congress.  Most of the laws are written by lawyers, for the rich and by the rich.  Simplicity is the only weapon of democracy.

No taxes, except a sale tax or a gross income tax with no exceptions. No hiding of money behind charity, behind house payments, behind the trillions of exceptions made to "encourage" the rich to get rich, and discourage the poor from making a living.

One item I have never seen published is how many billions are lost through loopholes for special interest.  Since most paymasters give pennies for dollars received, and are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat Trump, I suspect the loopholes cost astronomical amounts both directly, indirectly and through unexpected consequences.

Fairness is simplicity. Complexity is tyranny. No law not understandable by a high school graduate should ever become law. No law should be over 10 pages long.  All laws not applied for 10 years or more should remain a law, it should be automatically sunset.