Quote Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr View Post
3 of those 4 are exceptionally small states though, almost any government could last in them for a good length of time.
Fair enough, so are Spain, Sweden, UK, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Norway. While some of the more unstable countries in the world are "democracies": Nigeria, Mexico, France, Sudan, Haiti, Colombia...

I agree that there are other factors at play here too, and yet the comparison is quite illuminating. It is my opinion that as someone said "People don't actually want freedom, all they want is a kind master."

As for "near the money box..." you don't give them to power to raid it, therefore they can't.

A combination of transparency and accountability makes the politicians serve the people opposed to the people serving them. As for "Taxi Driver" are you trying to suggest Mr. Inheritance locked up in his study has a superior opinion and life experience compared to some one constantly in the streets, meeting and interchanging with others? If you want a more enlightened people, then enlighten people. You use the media to tell people what is going on, what the arguments are, and other things. Then that Taxi Driver knows as much as apparently others do.
You can't have a government without access to public finances...

I'm suggesting that someone with superior education, worldliness, and broad view of the world who has been exposed to affairs of state since childhood will have a much better grasp of these affairs, yes. I'm not saying that people shouldn't be enlightened, or speaking against free education, just against universal voting. I believe voting should be restricted, and in the same way we keep people that are unfit to live in society behind bars, and we keep children away from sharp objects, we should keep people unfit to decide the country's future away from poll stations.

This will result in a more restricted and "elitist", if you will, political class. But that is a good thing. I can't see how the current political class can get any more barbaric.

Monarchy / Republicanism:
See above. I struggle to take monarchy seriously. How grown-ups want to be subjects is utterly beyond me. I'll never understand.
You see, Louis, it's not about being subjects, as that is inevitable. The difference is between trained masters and dabbling masters who change every election and disappear with a sizeable chunk of public money. It's about picking your poison.

It is true that the likes of Sarcozy, Putin, or Berlusconi provide much more amusement than Spain's or Saudi's royals...