Incompetence Or Evil – You Tell Me

We have posted on this before, many of us bloggers. I could go down a list as long as my arm, dates, dollars, times, corruption, malfeasance, complete disconnect with mainstream America. But most of you also watch the only non-state run news agency, listen to crazy right wing radio stations, and read blogs like this one, and others. So let me just ask you: ARE THEY REALLY THAT INCOMPETENT, OR IS IT EVIL? Hanlon's Razor states::

"Do not invoke conspiracy as explanation when ignorance and incompetence will suffice, as conspiracy implies intelligence."

or put slightly differently

“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.”

Occam's razor — States that explanations should never multiply causes without necessity. When two explanations are offered for a phenomenon, the simplest full explanation is preferable. It is often more simply stated as:

“All other things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually the best”

We must also consider the Peter principle, Which states that when people perform well at a lower level function they are allowed to progress up the responsibility ladder until they reach their first level of incompetence where they are neither demoted or terminated, simply put it is expressed this way

"In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."

Well from my perspective it is difficult to believe that there is a wide conspiracy known to all 535 voting members of congress, plus the executive branch. BUT, it is somewhat easier for me to believe that there is a small group who heavily influences this larger group. Still more plausible in my mind, although more sad, is that over time we have allowed a sickness to enter into a once envious system of government. I think it started in academia, spread into journalism and completely took over government. The system the way we have perverted it from what it once was now attracts the duplicitous, greedy, and foolish.

This is one of the two questions which are tied together in my mind which I still cannot adequately answer. 1) Are they just that Stupid, or are they Evil? 2) why on earth did we allow this?