How do these people get power?

[DrFaroohk]

There's a lot of really stupid people out there. For instance, pretty much all the offending adults in the 9 year old suspended thread....or anything similar. It seems to usually be a teacher, and they call the cops on a kid because he had a toothpick. Or they think the symbol on the GI Joe toy is actually a gang symbol. SUSPENSION!

Basically all of those stories. There's tons of them, even in just this forum.

So my question is - how in the blue eff you see kay do these people manage to get to that level of power while being such bumbling idiots? I'm sorry but there is no other way to describe them. They are totally unreasonable, blind to any sort of information that did not originate in their pathetic little brains and they somehow become Principals, Superintendants, District Managers or Police Chiefs.

How do they do it!? If stupid people like that can do it, why isn't this shit total cake for me? I should be able to just show up at a job and get promoted based on the virtue that I'm the only one not licking his asshole.

[Iseeyouthere]

People who are smart in one field are often dumb as hell in others.

You might be gifted in maths, able to solve 47 times 76 in 3 seconds but have no idea how to tie your shoelaces and they need someone who can tie their shoes together for the job... who cares if he is a racist, homophobic con-man... he can tie shoes and you can't, so he gets the job.

What they lack in common sense, they make up for intelligents, the latter the only reason they got the job in the first place.

And when they get into positions of power, sometimes they don't know how to handle the issue at hand or worst, exploit it and make others suffer so they can gain.

Its not right at all.

[protege]

So my question is - how in the blue eff you see kay do these people manage to get to that level of power while being such bumbling idiots?

They get into power...either because they know someone, or because they're *extremely* lucky. Look at Pittsburgh's Mayor, aka the Woy Blunder, Luke Ravenstahl. He got into city government, because his dad was a district magistrate. I'm sure some phone calls were made about his character. Anyway, Luke ran for city council office, won, became president of the council...and then mayor (per city charter) after our mayor (Bob O'Connor) passed away.

Even after all the crap that's happened during his time in office; his disappearance during a massive snow storm, his temper-tantrum when called out on it, using his office to intimidate at least one police officer (the sergeant who reported him for using a Dept of Homeland security SUV...to attend a concert), and some other 'questionable' things...he's still in office.

He remains in power, simply because the voters inside the city...lack the balls to vote for someone else. I'm *so* glad that I live out in the 'burbs!

[bara]

I have a theory.
Stupid people are promoted by people smarter than they are. Smarter people promote stupider people so that the smart people dont have to worry about someone smarter than they are taking thier job. In turn this keeps the smart people racing just to make rent and not worrying about trying to make headway into their career.

However, this has been going on for awhile now. The generations of stupid people is beginning to reach critical mass. This is why we can have 6 year old sex offenders, people who object to helpful equipment for a disabled child, and tea partiers in positions to enforce thei douchebagery on the rest of us.

Just a theory of mine.

[HYHYBT]

It's near impossible sometimes to FIRE somebody until *after* they've messed up horribly. Sometimes even then. Promoting them out of the way doesn't always work either, but sometimes it's worth a shot.

[Duelist925]

I've always subscribed to the dilbert principal--people are promoted until they are no longer competent at that level. If your a good worker, you get promoted until you reach a level where you can no longer be the good worker you are known to be.