MCGUIRK: AI regulation is a farce waiting to happen
It is helpful I always think when trying to understand politicians, and why they do the things they do, to consider their ultimate motivations. The motivation of the citizen and the motivation of the politician are different, though both are governed by self-interest. The citizen desires, broadly, a decent standard of living; low taxes; an efficient and well-run health system; good roads; good schools; and a sense of safety and security in their communities. The politician by contrast desires votes and popularity, as quickly and as easily as possible.
Sometimes these principles align: You can become popular quite quickly and easily by simply giving people more money, either by tax cuts or welfare increases. But at other times they are in fundamental conflict: For example, creating a genuinely well-run health system might require mass redundancies of administrative staff, or asking some medics to work longer hours, or cutting back on some ancillary spending (free contraception, anyone?) to focus on more urgent needs.
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