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    Thomas Cool (Dutch economist) also wants to add a fourth senate. But one for economics. Already we have a prestigious advisory body the WRR which can both be consulted by government, and give advice to government, of its own accord. We already have KNAW which sees its task as the same, again. You may have idealistic and theoretical reasons for a new senate of a particular type and with a particular kind of membership, but as soon as it exists it will start evolving under political and social pressures to something different from what it was intended to be. We also have an almost superfluous royal family with some constitutional role as well as a symbolic role. As soon as you get some powerful persons interested in your idea it will get hijacked for their own purposes. I think it is also not so smart to couple your proposals for constitutional reform with amateur theories of psychology and of physics. This puts you (in the eyes of those who don’t want to see what you think you see) in the realm of crackpots who may be ignored. I see your quandary but I don’t see a way out for you. I guess you are doing the best you can do, and that has to be good enough. Maybe you convince one person, who is able to take the ideas further.

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      Well Richard you indeed make several pertinent points.

      The WRR is an advisory board without real power to investigate. So this is not a fourth senate but the only senate.

      Furthermore it represents every Dutch citizen and not just a power group within “science”.

      A senate can hold – by law – senatorial hearings. The WRR can’t. No scientist can. I.e. it can do something no other advisory board can do, namely force you, or anyone in the Netherlands to testify under pain of being jailed as a legal hostage until you/ they do.

      Furthermore it should have the power to investigate if need be in a safe environment i.e. behind closed doors. So that whistleblowers can safely testify knowing that if they lie and that is found out, as it probably will it will have consequences. Not only the pain of possible perjury, yet also loss of prestige and reputation. Lying to the senate and that being known is a very strong deterrence.

      KNAW same story as WRR. They can still advice all they like yet the senate will be the real representative of science also via WRR and KNAW.

      On the modern monarchy please study my post on that. It’s not surperfluous at all and is in fact the only way to prevent dictators from going to war. That the monarchy fairy tale hypnotics doesn’t work for you is irrelevant, it obviously works for a great majority. For everyone’s DNA or spouses could become Royal and thus represented by a head of state that isn’t guilty in any way and can heal far better than a cauliflower can. The latter indeed can but not as good. Xi should become Emperor of China as a modern monarch and Putin Tsar of Russia.

      You state: “…but as soon as it exists it will start evolving under political and social pressures to something different from what it was intended to be.”

      Not when you organize it as a truly independent body. Ergo, all senators have the Balkenende norm as maximum pay possible for anyone (that is the advice to the senate of course.) Furthermore it should be a collective wealth of the Senate.

      The Senate will of course as any parliament should already have a disciplinary honour code. As long as the majority of parliament is indeed non DDR type democratic it will hold.

      Yes the risk of high jacking by “Dracula and the zombies” or “Darth Vader” is a real danger. There only vigilance via bildung can help. It demands a free press and that demands them as everybody to have a guaranteed decent income as I describe it.

      “This puts you (in the eyes of those who don’t want to see what you think you see) in the realm of crackpots who may be ignored. I see your quandary but I don’t see a way out for you. I guess you are doing the best you can do, and that has to be good enough. Maybe you convince one person, who is able to take the ideas further.”

      Indeed that’s why I’m already working on that.

      All it needs is that the taboo on talking about senators for life is lifted for Dutch politicians. Mind I nearly bagged our PM Rutte in this.

      All disenfranchised and disadvantaged have the power to do so. More effective than throwing stones I’d say.

      “I think it is also not so smart to couple your proposals for constitutional reform with amateur theories of psychology and of physics.”

      I see that problem, and agree yet it’s essential to stem the danger of the other problem you justifiably point out namely a takeover for their own purposes.

      The easy to spot four speeds of brain is essential as the second strike to just prevent that.

      As we Dutch say governing is looking ahead.

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