Politics: That Which Is Seen

Why do we spend so much time talking about politics and elections?

The vast majority of the really important decisions that we make as try to improve our lives have nothing to do with who wins and who loses elections. The technological innovations that will change our lives don't, either.

In fact, the work that makes the world better doesn't occur in legislatures. It occurs in homes, offices, factories, and all the other places where individuals trade what they know with each other.

Unfortunately, all that trade is too small to matter. It's not big enough, splashy enough, or noisy enough to get attention.

Politics is everything that trade is not. Politics is big, splashy, and noisy. We can see politics, whether we like it or not. In an election year, we can't avoid it.

Trade is almost invisible.

It's easy to overestimate the importance of something that is all about overstating its importance.