Arnold King explains the fundamental insight that makes a person a libertarian

And thus I don't have to explain it myself. Here are some money quotes from Kling's terse but enlightening little post:

"The conventional wisdom is that we would be better off if politically powerful leaders were less mediocre. Instead, my view is that we would be better off if mediocre political leaders were less powerful."

"Democracy does not lead to particularly good choices. Most successful institutions in society are not democratic....[T]he value of democracy is that it provides a check on government officials."

"We have to expect mediocrity from political leaders. They are selected by a very unreliable process."

"In general, I try to avoid contact with narcissists who spend their time pleading for money. Those are hardly the intellectual and emotional characteristics that make someone admirable, yet they are the traits of people who go into politics." [Amen, brother Kling!]

"Do not look upon the electoral process as a search for great leaders. At best, it gives us an opportunity for damage control."

Couldn't've said it better myself.

HT: Insty