Joseph:
I am not sure what you are implying with the quotes from Reb Moshe ZT”L. I was not suggesting otherwise. It is all over Shulchan Aruch that the ingredients to pasken a shailoh require knowledge of the facts. That’s why the Rov when asked about the milchig spoon that fell into the chicken soup needs to verify several matters, such as the temperature of the soup, whether the milchig spoon was used as such within the last 24 hours, the amount of soup, etc. Knowing the facts is critical, not just a good idea. And when confronting matters involving science, one must inquire about much of the relevant information (that is if the response is not coming from “ruach hakodesh”). Reb Moshe himself did this extensively, and there are numerous reports of his interactions with physicians.
Questions in politics also require knowledge of facts, and the responsible Rov has either learned them or must inquire. No, the Rov is not required to go to college and receive formal training. I don’t believe that this was suggested by anyone. The Rov, once knowing the metzius, can utilize his Torah knowledge to guide him.
The first quote introduced an element to the discussion that I don’t think was raised, that of not obeying the advice given by a Talmid Chochom. Of course, Reb Moshe is correct. But many of us have witnessed shailos being brought to a Talmid Chochom with intentionally omitted information, in order to color the psak to be more favorable to one direction. The halacha of שמע בין אחיכם is intended to ward off such biased situations, and to allow a psak to be based on Torah alone, not a predetermined one based on bias.