Meritocracy Not Absolute Democracy

(submitted as a letter to the editor of The Medford Mail Tribune)

Dear editor,

Those who've read my books and writings know I believe ABSOLUTE democracy to be profoundly flawed in theory and practice. Recent democratic decisions such as the rejection of Kyoto, the slaughter of over 700,000 Iraqis for no exact reason, and the failure to truly address the continuing blight of Guantanamo Bay support my view.

But, I'm always asked: what else? I believe in a U.S.A. where all citizens have a voice in the democratic choir but that the volume of that voice should depend on proven virtue and ability. The decorated, purple-hearted war veteran, the brilliant businessperson, and the learned scholar are examples of individuals who deserve a greater say in our society.

See, the Rev. Martin Luther Kings, the Einsteins, the Abraham Lincolns and Thoreaus need far greater sway than 1 in a sea of over 300 million... !!!for everybody's sake!!!

Our system is now primarily a democracy and only slightly a meritocracy... in the true sense of the word. I say natural law demands that meritocracy take its natural place alongside democracy.