> I think people with expertise and training do generally know what's in people's interest more than untrained people themselves

For petes sake dude, people act in their own self-interests. That includes so called "people with expertise and training", or more correctly put - credentialed people.

They worked towards getting these credentials (fancy law or economics degree at a fancy university) - not because they were interested in acting in interests of the "untrained people". They just wanted a cushy, high status, well paid job.

What do you think governments are ran by - generally speaking? People without "expertise"(cough, cough) and "training"?

No, they are ran by people with "expertise and training" (ie. credentialed)!

The problem is that they mainly act in their self-interests (and interests of their social group) first and foremost, and not for their expertise or lack-thereof. And the people that vie for positions of power and status act in their self-interests and interests of their social clique squared or cubed. Everything else is an afterthought.

>I also think that the fact that this isn't blindingly obvious to most folks is at the heart of a lot of the rot in modern society.

You vastly overestimate your mental acuity