Wednesday 3 November 2010

US Mid Terms shows how democracy should work

I have always been a great admirer of the men who wrote the US constitution. Their farsightedness, perspicacity and ability to construct a system that would nurture democracy for hundreds of years in the future puts our political leaders to shame. They separated their judiciary, legislature and executive to avoid the mish-mash of the UK parliamentary system that these founding fathers of the US had fought  and won against. Either the Senate or the House can block the will of the executive.They have an elected President.

I am proud of the part my country Scotland played 450 years previously in this process in the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320, which established the principle that a government could only rule with the consent of the people and served as the basis for the US founding fathers.

Consider the structure these founding fathers set up. They set up a Senate with 2 elected representatives per state so the large states could not force their wishes on the small states. They set up the House of Representatives with members elected from equal sized constituencies in population terms every two years.

Do you imagine our lick spittle MPs would have been as eager to vote through EU diktats if they knew they would be facing elections in two years. Look at what has happened to the great black hope Obama. He was voted in on a huge popular vote but as soon as the US voters saw his real agenda they wanted rid of him. Would that we could do the same!

Look what happened today with the  Lib Dems ditching their written promise signed by everyone of their MPs not to raise student fees. The difference is we can do nothing about it. The Yanks can and have.

Do the citizens of the EU or UK have such vetoes on their executive. They do not!

Until we change our political system we will be continue to be ruled by a self serving political elite. Let us have none of the nonsense that our system has worked for hundreds of years so why change it. It has served the Old Etonians and party apparatchiks very well not the people. The great Reform Act which increased the adult franchise was only passed under threat of Civil War in the North of England. The political class however ensured the parliamentary system stayed to serve the members of their class as it has done so ever since!

I watched Andrew Neil's programme on Monday on the US TEA party movement. What came out time after time was the view that, 'we do not want to be ruled by professional politicians in Washington' who know nothing of us and care less. We need such a grass roots movement now but we are handicapped by our history and subservience to the class system and perceived betters. Look how Mr Farage worships titles! There is always some idiot who in Question Time type programs make statements like, "We pay our MPs to make decisions for Us". Wrong, wrong wrong! They make decisions to favour themselves and their class.

Why do we have an unelected second chamber populated by 1000 expensive has-beens? The US, a country with 5 times our population gets by with 100 elected Senators! Why do we need 70 odd MEPs? Why do we need a proposed 600 MPs when the US gets by with 435 elected members in the House?

But the biggest difference is that in the US when push comes to shove Senators and Congressmen represent their voters irrespective of their party label. You will now see Democrat Senators voting with Republican Senators to defeat Obama. They are genuine representatives of their voters. Our lot represent their party first and last. If they don't they are delselected.They are not elected in their own right or because of their abilities. Do you wonder then that our system is undemocratic and corrupt?

I want to join a British TEA party. Is there anyone else who feels the same? If so please leave a comment and contact details on this blog.

3 comments:

Peter Hulme Cross said...

Yes, I'd like to join a TEA Party. I believe there was one in Brighton some time ago. There was an invitation to it on Dan Hannan's blog. But that is the only one I've heard about.

Enjoy reading your blog, BTW.

The NEC refused to renew my membership of UKIP in July 2005 although they kept the subscription. This was because I refused to 'toe the Party line' and do what I was told. It was quite arbitrary, there was no 'disciplinary hearing' or opportunity for me to defend myself. Sound familiar??

Best regards,

Peter Hulme Cross
London
peter.hulmecross@googlemail.com

Eric Edmond said...

Peter,

Many others have had the same unpleasant, outrageous and improper treatment from the UKIP ruling Cabal. They do not understand how important it is to follow due process and the idea of a fair hearing is anathema to them. Its very depressing and besmirches our cause.

After the result of the leadership election is known I will post again on this topic.

eric_edmond@hotmail.com

david Abbott said...

Don't forget that all the founding fathers were Brits.
The American constitution is based on the ideas of individual freedom that Brits had invented. John Adams described the British constitution as "the greatest fabric of invention in human history"
The trouble is that we have allowed our constitution to be overrun and ignored. When previous monarchs have ignored it they have been deposed or otherwise disposed of. HM ignores the constitution, which includes her coronation oath and continues on the throne.
Meanwhile the same happens at UKIP. The leader ignores its constitution and the party slides into oblivion.
Constitutions are important. The BBC Ignores its Charter and that is why Britain has no Tea Party. The "fair and balanced " news that Americans get from Fox and which many there are inspired and encouraged by is not available in the UK. We have continuous Marxist propaganda instead.

The UK, UKIP and the BBC have great constitutions. If only they would use them.