lifestyle leader

A brief note to British MPs in the wake of the (still) ongoing expenses scandal:

You FAIL. The public trust, your democratic duty, even the most basic notions of ethics and honour. So please, Archbishop Williams/Speaker Martin/Nadine Dorries...especially Nadine Dorries: just go away. The drip, drip, drip of leaks is the least a society you have woefully failed should offer you in return. In fact, I suspect many Britons would prefer to subject you all to a very different kind of drip, drip, drip. The only thing more shameful than the massive fraud (whether the claims were technically legal or not) you have collectively perpetrated is the ridiculous attempts to label their exposure excessive.

Please don't misinterpret my outrage; I am no populist. In fact, I rather admire the British establishment. But it has failed, and MPs would be well served to fall on their swords and stop trying to deflect shame onto the messenger.

I hold no illusions as to the true aspirations of public servants in this, or any, country. But as someone presently weighing a career in my country's foreign service, deep down I like to think that every public servant holds an allegiance greater than their own personal enrichment and power. When you betray that duty, you need to walk away. Then: 1) lay low for a couple of years (unless you are this guy), 2) write a book, 3) do the morning talk show round, 4) find a pet-issue and display phony-outrage, 5) run for office all over again...you all know the drill.