"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
donal,

I've been more than a little ****ed about our Electoral College but
after doing a little study I find the UK has many,many more
Repersentative that are not elected by popular vote than we do!

I guess we are still better off than you are. Our Senate is still
elected by a direct vote of the people. Be damned to your Upper House.

The sad truth is that our un-elected upper house has a fantastic record.

Hindsight shows that they have nearly always been correct when they have
opposed the elected government. They have been a brilliant moderating
force. I cannot defend their existence logically. However, I haven't seen
a system that has worked better.


The unelected peers tend to vote with their conscience because they are very
difficult to control or coerce. They can't be sacked, or de-selected. It
isn't easy to bribe them with offers of promotion either - there aren't
enough senior positions to fill.

They are definitely not a democratic institution, but they have done a
better job of defending democracy and civil liberties than any elected
government has done over the last 100 years.


Regards


Donal
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