quote:

I'm afraid that "being nice" isn't a good enough

Oh well ... back to the drawing board

Please click here to hear somebody sing it far better than I ever could

quote:

This is where I always counsel caution with wild plans top scrap the Monarchy without a fully workable plan to replace it.

What do we need to replace?
Why do we need a president?
Can't the prime Minister be the head?
Can't the armed forces swear allegiance to the country?

Great link ROTF, but wouldn't this be equally appropriate?
(Love the cynicism of the video)

Not really if you examine it. There has to be some authority, usually called the Head of State, to appoint the Prime Minister and accept any resignation or even insist that an election be called at the time a government can no longer function for whatever reason.

Could you imagine Tony Blair sacking himself, and in some circumstances actually having the Labour Majority in the Commons support him.

Of course that is hypothetical, so simply substitute a few names as representing the political leaders and elected governments of the future, and there you have it. You cannot! You could make a respectable guess, but in reality there is no certainty that without a higher constitutional authority, then with the wrong party in power and with the wrong leader as PM there would emerge a dictatotrship, if there be no constitutional brake on process at all.

We all know that some/many/most [?] politicians would rather not bother with the messy business of elections and accountability, and they weald the power to alter the constitution. Some completely respectable and respected Head of State is a required brake on the Executive.

The Nazis were initially elected through a democratic vote into a position of power, and from there went onto rig a plebiscite!

If it could happen in a country like Germany then it could happen here.

It is interesting that Germany has a Constitutional [not executive] President as Head of State. Perhaps reasonable, given their presumed wish not to give history a chance of taking such a terrible course again?

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by Ewan Aye:
Great link ROTF, but wouldn't this be equally appropriate?
(Love the cynicism of the video)

Superb, he had one of the most honest approaches ever

And if I am elected
I promise the formation of a new party
A third party, the Wild Party!
I know we have problems,
We got problems right here in Central City,
We have problems on the North, South, East and West,
New York City, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles,
Detroit, Chicago,
Everybody has problems,
And personally, I don't care