Flailing

On a pragmatic gross-governance level, it's a republic, and that's a good thing. Democratic representation does not run everywhere, though.

As One Cosmos' Bob Godwin (Darwin? God?) says

True philosophy (not academic philosophy, which is just an adolescent parlor game) depends on two variables: the depth of one's intelligence, and the source and value of one's information.

There may be situations where it's good first to measure one's prowess and perhaps elect to be a bystander.

Yep.

Courtesy Patterico