Down with Monarchy!!
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talkpoliticsI have no problem saying it.
Sorry ya limey wankers, but (and perhaps butt), Fuck the Queen!
I am going out on a limb here and disagreeing with the very notion of monarchy.
Now, if you are British, I have a feeling you disagree with me, quite strongly, about the problems that England having a queen has. Now while there are more countries than just England with a queen (or king) my recent conversation with a friend of a friend who happens to be a Brit.
I'm totally baffled, absolutely flabbergasted, as to how modern people, in a modern country are still perfectly content with their medieval ruling class monarchs continuing to sit on the throne.
Now, I know I know, the Queen, bless her heart, is just a figure-head. She's not a monarch in the way that monarchs USED to rule. She's not a member of an aristocracy that decides the fate of the country, NO! The queen is just our national celebrity, our figurehead.
About that. I've got to say, I'm slightly confused. So while my friend of a friend, insisted, quite vehemently, "the Queen does NOT have power in the political world. she rubber stamps whatever parliament does" meanwhile, a relatives boyfriend who is also a Brit told me once that, "oh of course the queen has power. everyone over there knows this. it's not something Americans are too savvy on, but we Brits all know she has power." He went on to give me an example of her power.
e.g. Let's say that for whatever reason, the house of commons and the house of lords decided to switch england from the pound to the euro. This would be massively unpopular and the queen could use her power to dissolve the government and call for new elections. This would give the people a chance to vote out the people doing what they dislike. The queen, according to my relatives boyfriend, can do what is RIGHT without worrying about what is POPULAR.
I found this line of reasoning odd, not the least of which this individuals previous argument FOR the queen was that she was popular. "We Brits love her. Can't we have what we want?" Well, I'm gonna continue to maintain that EITHER we should do what is right, because it is right, even when it's unpopular (including deposing a popular monarch, if monarchy is wrong) or we should simply do what is popular and not use being right as some magical reason to give power to an unelected monarch. Personally I maintain that what is right aught be done, regardless of popularity, regardless of consequence.
I fantasize that this puts me in the same ideological stance of Rorsarch and Socrates. They make an odd couple.
So I'm not going to claim to be any great expert on Britain or Monarchy or how the two interact over there. Maybe the queen has power, maybe not. (Here is a link suggesting the queen does have power. My Brit friend of a friend said it was a single piece of sensationalist journalism that I shouldn't put too much stock in)
So here's the thing, even if the queen is not an institutional force of power, I have a problem with vast sums of inherited wealth and power. Even the left-wingers I know, some of whom may be socialists and communists, oddly enough, have no problem with this family continuing its line of wealth, generation to generation, not laboring for it, but being handed it because of some accident of birth.
I'm aware that the queen has a positive effect. She is a source of national unity and pride; she can be a diplomat; she can bring in revenue from people buying knick-knacks with the queen or princes face on it. But all of the positive she can bring, are not exclusively things a monarch may do.
There is something terribly wrong in maintaining a system that says you are special because of your blood. This is not because I'm an American and I have some prejudice against monarchs. This is because I am a cosmpolitian philosopher who is peeved that the Queen and her kin get to live a life of luxury and comfort, even if everything they do is in the public eye, they will NEVER worry about medical bills or having enough money to eat. They will never face the hardships that MOST of humanity worries about. They are excluded and given BETTER TREATMENT because of their genetics. This is not right. This is incorrect. This needs to stop.
I'm certain it won't. Brits love their queen and to take something from somebody, when they love it deeply, is difficult at best, impossible at worst. But please, someone out there, help me understand.
Just why the hell does anybody support a monarchy anymore? The dark ages called and they want their system of government back.
Sorry ya limey wankers, but (and perhaps butt), Fuck the Queen!
I am going out on a limb here and disagreeing with the very notion of monarchy.
Now, if you are British, I have a feeling you disagree with me, quite strongly, about the problems that England having a queen has. Now while there are more countries than just England with a queen (or king) my recent conversation with a friend of a friend who happens to be a Brit.
I'm totally baffled, absolutely flabbergasted, as to how modern people, in a modern country are still perfectly content with their medieval ruling class monarchs continuing to sit on the throne.
Now, I know I know, the Queen, bless her heart, is just a figure-head. She's not a monarch in the way that monarchs USED to rule. She's not a member of an aristocracy that decides the fate of the country, NO! The queen is just our national celebrity, our figurehead.
About that. I've got to say, I'm slightly confused. So while my friend of a friend, insisted, quite vehemently, "the Queen does NOT have power in the political world. she rubber stamps whatever parliament does" meanwhile, a relatives boyfriend who is also a Brit told me once that, "oh of course the queen has power. everyone over there knows this. it's not something Americans are too savvy on, but we Brits all know she has power." He went on to give me an example of her power.
e.g. Let's say that for whatever reason, the house of commons and the house of lords decided to switch england from the pound to the euro. This would be massively unpopular and the queen could use her power to dissolve the government and call for new elections. This would give the people a chance to vote out the people doing what they dislike. The queen, according to my relatives boyfriend, can do what is RIGHT without worrying about what is POPULAR.
I found this line of reasoning odd, not the least of which this individuals previous argument FOR the queen was that she was popular. "We Brits love her. Can't we have what we want?" Well, I'm gonna continue to maintain that EITHER we should do what is right, because it is right, even when it's unpopular (including deposing a popular monarch, if monarchy is wrong) or we should simply do what is popular and not use being right as some magical reason to give power to an unelected monarch. Personally I maintain that what is right aught be done, regardless of popularity, regardless of consequence.
I fantasize that this puts me in the same ideological stance of Rorsarch and Socrates. They make an odd couple.
So I'm not going to claim to be any great expert on Britain or Monarchy or how the two interact over there. Maybe the queen has power, maybe not. (Here is a link suggesting the queen does have power. My Brit friend of a friend said it was a single piece of sensationalist journalism that I shouldn't put too much stock in)
So here's the thing, even if the queen is not an institutional force of power, I have a problem with vast sums of inherited wealth and power. Even the left-wingers I know, some of whom may be socialists and communists, oddly enough, have no problem with this family continuing its line of wealth, generation to generation, not laboring for it, but being handed it because of some accident of birth.
I'm aware that the queen has a positive effect. She is a source of national unity and pride; she can be a diplomat; she can bring in revenue from people buying knick-knacks with the queen or princes face on it. But all of the positive she can bring, are not exclusively things a monarch may do.
There is something terribly wrong in maintaining a system that says you are special because of your blood. This is not because I'm an American and I have some prejudice against monarchs. This is because I am a cosmpolitian philosopher who is peeved that the Queen and her kin get to live a life of luxury and comfort, even if everything they do is in the public eye, they will NEVER worry about medical bills or having enough money to eat. They will never face the hardships that MOST of humanity worries about. They are excluded and given BETTER TREATMENT because of their genetics. This is not right. This is incorrect. This needs to stop.
I'm certain it won't. Brits love their queen and to take something from somebody, when they love it deeply, is difficult at best, impossible at worst. But please, someone out there, help me understand.
Just why the hell does anybody support a monarchy anymore? The dark ages called and they want their system of government back.
(no subject)
Date: 14/4/13 08:14 (UTC)Now, if you are British, I have a feeling you disagree with me, quite strongly, about the problems that England having a queen has.
Most of the English people I know who are my age or younger are firmly republican (with a little R). Insofar as it would be rude and ignorant to say "Americans are all fat and warlike herp derp.", you shouldn't assume that every British person will defend their sovereign to the death. Lizzie is, I believe, the longest-reigning British sovereign with the exception of Victoria,I and when she dies Britain will have to have a debate - mostly between the younger, more progressive generation and the established, older one - about how to deal with their aristocracy. Do they phase it out gradually, or just chuck everyone out at once? The biggest loser, of course, will be Charlie, who's waited for 60 years for the ultimate dead-end job.
America certainly doesn't suck - I spent a year of my life there and loved it. There's so much good about the American system of democracy it's survived tyrants, warlords, incompetents and George W (who's all three). I predict that the nations of the Commonwealth will vote for independence from Britain over the next generation, which will speed up the need for the Limeys to make a solid decision.
My previous comment was with regard to the replacements for royalty we impose on ourselves; either with religion, celebrity, or money, humans like someone or something to bow to. I totally agree we need to find something better than hereditary inbreeding to put on our coins, but let's replace it something that's actually better.
(no subject)
Date: 15/4/13 14:54 (UTC)This would be like saying "Residents of the state of New York want there to be a minimum wage increase" which nearly 80% of respondents to polls in NY said (our min wage is nations lowest, with our cost of living, being second highest--Hawaii beats us). Now, I've met those who disagree, but it's more likely that they will agree than they will disagree. Same thing for Brits and the Queen.