Brian Eno on Politics

What worries him:

"Most of the smart people I know want nothing to do with politics. We avoid it like the plague—like Edge avoids it, in fact. ...We expect other people to do it for us, and grumble when they get it wrong. We feel that our responsibility stops at the ballot box, if we even get that far. After that we're as laissez-faire as we can get away with. ... What worries me is that while we're laissez-ing, someone else is faire-ing."

Why would a smart person want to get involved with politics?  It is ugly and nasty.  And it strikes me at the high levels we get ambitious and cunning people.  These traits are smart, in a way, but they aren't the same as wise or patient or fair, ie the values I'd like to see more of.