Palmerston previously referred to this week’s Banyan in The Economist, which (largely accurately) characterised the current electoral reform battle as internecine warfare between factions of the local elite.

(A more cynical commentator might suggest that Banyan’s bile owes more than a little to columnist and commentator Michael Chugani.)

Naturally, the comment thread has devolved along predictable lines, with various commenters espousing, presumably, the complete deposition of the ancien regime of the elites and the rejection of all foreign “meddling” and British colonial influence.

In that merry vein, Palmerston proposes (as one commenter has) a simple thought experiment. Let the anti-elitist commenters have their way; defenestrate the Western-educated elites and throw out the “colonial” influences. And see what happens.

This city will be deserted quicker than you can say “brain drain” or “capital flight”.