so basically democracy is irredeemably bad at contributing to policy, so it should be manipulated around by wise technocrats. but democracy has the useful characteristic that beyond certain guard rails it cannot be manipulated to sustain a status quo, constraining perhaps unwise technocrats. 1/

i don't find it a very compelling story, but i see how one can make it. if one *did* make it, though, wouldn't Trump's ascendance, or Brexit, serve as pretty clear examples of the fuse being tripped, democracy performing its role? 2/

given what follows when the putatatively stupid demos throws off a bad status quo, wouldn't it be a frying-pan-to-fire transition? can that really be an affirmative case for democracy, if the demos can occasionally throw off bad governments but can have no capacity to help constitute good ones? /fin