Originally Posted by BigDavyG

That is no bad thing necessarily - the right thing to do will not always be popular with the general populus (eg raising taxes, etc).

Originally Posted by User Name

Don't mean to put a pin in everyone's balloon here, but quite frankly, we don't have anything to show off about our own UK system of government. We don't vote for the members of the upper house (House of Lords), we can't vote or directly choose our PM. Members of the UK upper house can ignore the people of the UK - because they don't need their vote. Members of the UK upper house never face an election. UK ministers don't face scrutiny, they are merely appointed by the unelected PM of the day. It took for ever to get a Freedom of Information Act on the statute books.

At least under the US system of government members of the upper house face elections, the President can only serve two terms and is not parachuted in place by his party, members of the US cabinet face vigorous challenge before they are appointed, would be members of the U.S. Supreme Court also face vigorous challenge and must face a vote to sit on the U.S. S. Ct., not so in the UK, where the highest court of the land are appointed in private with no public scrutiny.

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

That is no bad thing necessarily - the right thing to do will not always be popular with the general populus (eg raising taxes, etc).
Its a shame that these days the House of Lords is getting filled with brown-nosers and lickspittles - one of the biggest disgraces of the "Blair monarchy".

Originally Posted by fatbrit

It doesn't look good on paper but it sure has worked in practice. A group of well-meaning people free from the petty and momentary prejudices of the electorate and partially immune from the need to take money from corporate interests to fund their election can deliver a service far better than the US Senate. But I don't think it would work in the US. A millennium or so of tradition is probably a necessary prerequisite.

Originally Posted by MiniBrit

(Sorry if you've heard this one before):

George Bush meets with the Queen of England. He asks her, "Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give to me?"

"Well," says the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."

"Bush frowns. "But how do I know the people around me are really intelligent?"

The Queen takes a sip of tea. "Oh, that's easy. You just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle. " The Queen pushes a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"

Tony Blair walks into the room. "Yes, my Queen?"

The Queen smiles. "Answer me this, please, Tony. Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answers, "That would be me."

"Yes! Very good," says the Queen.

Bush goes back home to ask Dick Cheney, his vice president, the same question.

"Dick, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"

"I'm not sure," says Cheney, " let me get back to you on that one."

Cheney goes to his advisors and asks every one, but none can give him an answer. Finally, he ends up in the men's room and recognizes Colin Powell's shoes in the next stall. Cheney shouts, "Colin! Can you answer this for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Colin Powell yells back, "That's easy. It's me!"

Cheney smiles, and says, "Thanks!" Then, Cheney goes back to speak with Bush. "Say, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle. It's Colin Powell."

Bush gets up, stomps over to Cheney and angrily yells into his face, "No, you idiot! It's Tony Blair!"

Originally Posted by User Name

Don't mean to put a pin in everyone's balloon here, but quite frankly, we don't have anything to show off about our own UK system of government. We don't vote for the members of the upper house (House of Lords), we can't vote or directly choose our PM. Members of the UK upper house can ignore the people of the UK - because they don't need their vote. Members of the UK upper house never face an election. UK ministers don't face scrutiny, they are merely appointed by the unelected PM of the day. It took for ever to get a Freedom of Information Act on the statute books.

At least under the US system of government members of the upper house face elections, the President can only serve two terms and is not parachuted in place by his party, members of the US cabinet face vigorous challenge before they are appointed, would be members of the U.S. Supreme Court also face vigorous challenge and must face a vote to sit on the U.S. S. Ct., not so in the UK, where the highest court of the land are appointed in private with no public scrutiny.

Originally Posted by User Name

... but not one of them is elected ... sort of reminds me of what Kenneth Clarke said a while ago, "In my opinion, in the 21st century the British are almost wholly ready for democracy."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/lords...+Politics+news

Originally Posted by anotherlimey

Yes what we really really need in the UK is a 100% populist government.....

Originally Posted by Celsius

... but do you feel you're getting your money's worth from your Senators, Congress representatives and most of all, your Prez?

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

Pity that Tone seems intent on demolishing it then :mad:

If he gets his way we will end up with our own version of the Senate which is extremely disappointing.
Despite the old Lords' apparent Tory bias I don't think that they ever blocked any bill from going through on party political grounds - a lot of them were mad old b*st*rds who simply didn't care what the whips told them anyway. Contrast this with the people who are being sent there now - like I said, its a crying shame and the reasons given to justify this vandalism are utter piffle.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

Hopefully, Tone's time is up soon. I'm young enough to remember our last dictator's fall.

Originally Posted by Celsius

... but do you feel you're getting your money's worth from your Senators, Congress representatives and most of all, your Prez?

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

You've confused me now - you really think that Brown would be any better ??

Originally Posted by User Name

In the USA the President is voted in or out by the People.

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

You've confused me now - you really think that Brown would be any better ??