AI Snips
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Power Requires Moral Self-Scrutiny
- Politicians routinely ignore the Spider-Man principle that great power requires serious moral responsibility.
- Bryan Caplan argues high-ranking officials rarely pause to question whether laws that detain or kill people are morally justifiable, not just expedient.
Competition Turns Politics Into A Popularity Contest
- Electoral competition makes politics a popularity contest that rewards demagoguery and short-term pandering.
- Caplan notes winners must win votes, so politicians prioritise popularity over independent moral reflection even after gaining power.
Social Desirability Explains Political Lies
- Social desirability bias makes people say what sounds good rather than the truth, which multiplies in politics into routine lying and hyperbole.
- Caplan links this to politicians' repeated promises like "we will do everything in our power," which are literally false yet persuasive.