Do We Really Need Politicians?

[Warrior]

We vote them into power every five years having believed their manifestos and then they do as they please for the next five years, if we were to do away with politicians altogether think of the millions we´d save. As well as about 350 inflated salaries think of the expenses saved, the assistants salaries, the secretarys and assistant secretarys and assistant assistants. No more limousines and chaufeurs to pay for no more overseas trips on chartered jumbos with expensive banquets at the destinations. In fact, no more Champagne & Caviar at all.
Let the Civil Servants run the country - they do anyway, and just have a yes/no referendum every five years, you know: Do you think we should increase the old-age pension? Yes or No with a list of other questions/suggestions.
After all we have the Queen as a figurehead, and she costs enough to run, who needs a Prime Minister and all his cronies, it´s not as if they actually do anything apart from shine the backsides of their expensive suits.
It would show them what it´s like to be redundant, and think of all the prime office space it would free up!!
The very reasons anyone wants to go into politics are the same reasons they should be excluded i.e: Money, Power, Money, Status and Money.

[smoki41]

If we are to retain ( or implement a workable democracy we have to have someone to represent us and they will be known as politicians.
I agree with Warriors points about the mixed quality of politicians particularly because of the over inflated incentives(even more so for the EEC). They also can pander to to an incresing proportion of benefit scroungers with little understanding of complexities of running( or in Browns case "running down") a cvomplex economy and society.
The best thing to do would be ;-
1) to cut back the salaries and expenses of politicians ( 50 years ago local councillors werent allowed salaries and expenses only covering costs and the office then held more prestige and was respected.
2) voters to be registered should go through some kind of test(excluding or balancing any kind of party bias) to show a level of understanding of political and administrative issues.This might avoid the medias ability to influence the government by manipulating electors without real understanding.
3) Institute an electoral system which allows all shades of rational opinion to be heard or represented. At present there are only 2 (perhaps 3) choices for which there is any point voting.

[Warrior]

If we are to retain ( or implement a workable democracy we have to have someone to represent us and they will be known as politicians.

Thanks for the reply smoki, my point is that politicians no longer represent the electorate and are only in the game for the Kudos & Cash.
A democracy, as I understand it, is rule by the majority decision. Well, if that´s the case why have they never brought back Capital Punishment, it´s been proven in numerous polls that the majority want it but the politicians don´t want any responsibility for topping murderers.
If every five years instead of a ballot paper voters were given a list of future changes to the laws to approve or otherwise then maybe we would get true democracy rather than the police/nanny state that we have at present.

[wolfie2]

Do we really need Politicians

Warrior think you will find that Capital Punishment as been abolished in the EU and will not be repealed, mores the pity.

[Crummy]

There has never been a working Democracy.. the best we seem to be able to find is a Parliamentary Democracy.

One person one vote would be unworkable.. the first thing the popular population would vote for would be... less or no tax, higher pensions, more money to be spent on schools/hospitals.. no money to be spent on armaments..

what then??

[Warrior]

Warrior think you will find that Capital Punishment as been abolished in the EU and will not be repealed, mores the pity.

So, it´s OK then to string up Saddam Hussein and his cronies but not nice civilised murderers, like wot we got!!
As to voting for no taxes - that wouldn´t get on the list!! can´t see anything wrong with the rest, you get nothing for nothing..............!

[Crummy]

As to voting for no taxes - that wouldn´t get on the list!! can´t see anything wrong with the rest, you get nothing for nothing..............!

There are some out there who WOULD vote for no taxes... those that Smoki41 wants to educate for instance... some even vote because a politician has a nice smile.... or.. heaven forbid... the people actually BELIEVE the politicians when they say they are going to help them..
Sadly.. our system is the best..... that's why it is copied by many other countries. Trouble is.. our politicians are NOT the best...

Perhaps Smoki41's idea is partly getting there... maybe we should educate the POLITICIANS .... about living in the real world..

[Warrior]

Perhaps Smoki41's idea is partly getting there... maybe we should educate the POLITICIANS .... about living in the real world..

Correct crummy, but they don´t have to live in the real world, do they?
They´re so protected from real life, they have no conception of what it´s like to live on a run-down sixties built housing estate with druggies and single mothers for neighbours, yet they are the only people they ever help, sod you if you´re a normal working bloke you just have to pay for society´s crap.
No, I reckon if we shoot the politicians and their hangers-on we´ll be a lot better off.