There is a case for a non-elected House of Lords. It is not and does not
pretend to be democratic. It is instead dignified, or generally dignified.
I do think we should be able to have some means to kick them out if they
are corrupt but when you know many of these old toffs, including the ones
with a lot of money (quite often so much that it becomes no object, so
corruption is not worthwhile), you have got to trust them a lot more than
someone who pulls sufficient numbers of strings as to be able to get
themselves on the shortlist for candidature.
I can't remember which country it is - I think it was a Scandinavian one
(actually there are probably a number of them) - who simply pays its
politicains huge amounts because if they don't the likelihood is that they
will end up in corruption scandals.
If you place total faith in the ideal of democracy, and not in
unpublicized, personally held values (I'm thinking again of the more
decent toffs), you will get disillusioned.
Tom
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