What to do with ex-PMs and all that pent-up bile?

Are ex-PMs way above normal society? According to the writer of this article they are, and really, I find it ridiculous. Don Murray puts Ex Prime Ministers on a pedestal as these supreme and bitter beings after being knocked out of parliament, and I think Murray's generalized portrayal of ex-PMs as egocentrical grumps is entirely unfair. We should not have to "deal" with ex-Prime Ministers, but allow them to leave office with dignity, so that they can live contently and in peace after their time serving our country.



Murray bases his article on the bitter things past PMs have said, including Mulroney's attack on Pierre Trudeau, and Chretien's attack on Paul Martin, but these politicians are given no benefit of the doubt. I've said bitter things in my life, but that doesn't by any means make me a bitter person. Of course there will be some resentment after a Prime Minister is forced to resign, but that will fade and the ex-PM will be able to return to normal in a normal society.




The article then moves on to discuss the traditional way that the French dealt with their ex-PMs. Their concept was simple. If the ex-PM went and stayed away quietly, they would be taken care of but that has changed.


The author of the article proposes a solution at the end of the article. He says to fix the grumpiness issue in ex-PMs, and that is to make them presidents of commissions. I disagree with this, because if a person is no longer adequate as the PM, I dont think they should be considered adequate to run the commissions of a country.


Putting a person in an authoritative position just to apease them, and avoid grumpiness is not a good idea. Instead, PM's just need to suck it up, and get over their massively inflated egos.