Keeping the rich out of government

[Marc]

From the BBC web site...

A row is brewing in Italy as parliament prepares to debate new laws to stop anyone with businesses worth more than 15m euros (£10m) from holding office....

Now, I've never been a fan of Berlusconi and his cronies, but even I would conceed that the way to keep people like him out of office is for people to use their votes, not to legislate against them. What say you others?

[pigro]

Hmm, I agree that legislation is a blunt instrument, but with most of W. Europe more interested in voting for Big Brother than in elections these days, not sure that we can neccessarily rely on that route to prevent Berlusconis & Murdochs of this world from taking over via their media power & financial clout.

How about instead of being ineligible aboive 15M Euro, they were instead required to donate X% fo all wealth above that value to a national charitable trust in order to be eligible for election? This would directly fund a lot of improvements to the societies they hoped to govern, and would simultaneously demonstrate their sincerity (and therefore suitability) for political office?

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by Marc

From the BBC web site...

A row is brewing in Italy as parliament prepares to debate new laws to stop anyone with businesses worth more than 15m euros (£10m) from holding office....

Now, I've never been a fan of Berlusconi and his cronies, but even I would conceed that the way to keep people like him out of office is for people to use their votes, not to legislate against them. What say you others?

The headline is miss leading at best. All it requires is a blind trust. If a blind trust is objectionable that tells more about the people complaining then about the law.

[liketheroman]

I see the green eyed monster in all this

Heaven forbid we end up with 'professional' politicians. I remember a time when British MPs were relatively poorly paid because they were expected to do something else. I would want a leader who has made a success of himself, not been a professional functionary all his life.

I dont have a strong opinion of Berlo except that I find him entertaining. I have an open mind about what is true about him but whatever it is, it is amplified 100 times by the hate, spite and jealousy projected at him.

This is just a wicked 'stop berlo' Bill and at 70, I dont see him coming back anyway. It was fine for Prodi to spend five years in Brussels with his nose in the trough and ignore corruption on a truly eye watering scale but now supposedly he is the great defender. I do have a strong opinion about Prodi but its not political, it is about him being a truly disastrous head of the EU commission - there are people in his coalition I think would be far more effective and carry less baggage.

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by NickZ

The headline is miss leading at best. All it requires is a blind trust. If a blind trust is objectionable that tells more about the people complaining then about the law.

I dont think trusts are even recognised under Napoleonic law so presumably the law would have to be changed to do that as well.

Besides which, blind trusts are as blind as you want them to be. Effectively you get to choose the trustees so you still get to exercise authority over the assets.

[giovanni]

And this is what is sooo wonderfully about Italy.

Even the politics is entertaining.......

[giovanni]

And for what my opinion is worth.

They have set the celling way too low. 10 million pounds, well its more than
i have but in a business world this is way too low to keep out person/s who
undoubtedly have conflicts of interests between governing fairly and their
personel interests..

£100 million would be nearer the mark.

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by liketheroman

Besides which, blind trusts are as blind as you want them to be. Effectively you get to choose the trustees so you still get to exercise authority over the assets.

Which makes the whining even more telling.

Nobody is stopping them from entering politics.

Nobody is forcing them to sell anything.

[Gala Placidia]

Originally Posted by Marc

Now, I've never been a fan of Berlusconi and his cronies, but even I would conceed that the way to keep people like him out of office is for people to use their votes, not to legislate against them. What say you others?

I fully agree, Marc. People have to be responsible when voting. Otherwise, don't blame the others when you get the government you helped to bring into power.

Perhaps the problem is not how rich the candidate is but his/her suitability to govern a country. And voters have the final say.

Quite a few dictators have been voted into power.I can give you an example I suffered as a child: Peron in Argentina... and the Argentines keep on voting for the Peronist Party!!!! Amazing!!!!!

Gala Placidia

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by NickZ

Which makes the whining even more telling.

Nobody is stopping them from entering politics.

Nobody is forcing them to sell anything.

So why bother then?

What seems to me more pertinent is a declaration of interests and perhaps restrictions on certain ownship e.g. national media. However before we can shout hurrah lets do Berlo over for his media interests, it would be pointless doing this while you had a national broadcaster, that just gives the government in power more influence.

You would first have to privatise the national broadcasters and then bring in ownership restrictions