Re: Why are VSI so focused on Sweden ?

In article <vqpf1m$208pc$2@dont-email.me>,
Simon Clubley  <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:

On 2025-03-10, Arne Vajh�j <arne@vajhoej.dk> wrote:

>
It is easier to get rid of a prime minister in that system.
>
But there is also a flip side. It can be difficult to find
a PM. After the election in Sweden in 2018 it took 4 months
to agree on a PM/government. After the election in the
Netherlands in 2023 it took 6 months. After the election
in Belgium in 2024 it took 8 months. Given how the US
congress typical (recent years) handle budget and debt limit
increase, then I suspect that if the US congress elected
the US president then the position would be empty half the time.

>
I don't know if this applies to other Parliamentary systems, but
here in the UK, the Prime Minister has to go to Parliament once
a week and answer questions from opposition leaders. In addition,
some normal MPs also get the chance to directly ask the PM questions
and to make the PM justify decisions that they have made.
>
I wonder if Mr Trump would ever go before Congress once a week and
answer questions put directly to him by the Democrats ? Somehow,
I suspect the answer is no. :-)

As an American, I've always found it fun to watch British
parliamentary proceedings: generally much livelier than our own
congress and infinitely more entertaining.  I miss Dennis
Skinner; his quips at Black Rod before the state opening of
parliament in the House of Lords were always chuckle-worthy.
"I shall miss you, Dennis."

For many years our US legislature was rather more genteel than
yours, with at least a veneer of camaraderie across the isle.
Senators and house members referred to each other as, "my good
friend from the state of such-and-such" or "my esteemed
colleague" and so forth.  I doubt much of that was sincere, but
there was at least an attempt at collegiallity.  But with
whackadoos like Marjoie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, or Matt
Gaetz in office now, I fear those days are well and truly behind
us.  And we don't even have a dry British sense of humor to
compensate.

Trump turns everything he touches into a clown show, so if he
were to appear before Congress fielding questions from Democrats
he would just turn it into another opportunity for
self-aggrandizing and petty name-calling.  The man is a boor; no
need to give him yet another platform.

- Dan C.