How do pick who will be upper management?

It just seems to me in my many experiences that a lot, (not all), but a lot of people that are in upper management are either, really stupid, giant a$$ kissers, or total screw ups. Most managers just talk and don't listen. You can tell them something and you know by looking at them that they're just waiting to talk and not listening at all. Is this really who we want in charge? Why does this happen so often. My last manager couldn't count. He needed a calculator to give me change for a five. When i told him how much he owed me before he used his little calculator he gave me a suspcious look before he was defeated by his calculator. It just makes me so angry.