Why I think the Royal Family has no place in a modern society

It's taken me a long time to realise that the British monarchy is just an anachronism of history and serves no justifiable purpose in modern society. The arguments are just as well served for any monarchy, but as I am British I will consider my own.

So why did I previously accept the idea of supporting the monarchy and all that it involves. On the surface the reasons are simple. My father was a product of his generation, patriotic and loyal to the Queen. This naturally affected my ideas in early life and was reinforced by attending a public school where loyalty to the Queen was almost part of the curriculum. Thereafter being a navigation officer in the merchant navy my work companions were generally conservative. When I left the sea I worked in an institution that was so close to the monarchy that I could see some of the anomalies of royalty and it's supporters at first hand. With my background it was inevitable that I was going to have some sort of allegiance to the Queen but began to question it when I was given a glancing insight during the previously mentioned employment.

There are also other influences which maintain the loyalty of the general population. British television, especially the news, propagates the notion of the Royal Family in our psyche. There are many hours or even days coverage of such occasions as a royal wedding, jubilee or state opening of parliament.  During these broadcasts there is general homage to the Queen by the television reporters and the people they are filming. Members of Parliament,who seem to argue about anything and everything are nearly always most respectful when considering the Queen and her family. Even newspapers, who will bring down every celebrity and notable person given half a chance will not dare to seriously challenge or criticise the institution in any way. This is big brother at it's worst, a perpetual indoctrination that even the strongest mind would find it hard to overcome.

So let's start with a clean slate. Suppose the world didn't have countries with royalty and the idea had never been promoted before. Then a person who is charismatic and influential puts the following idea to the British public.

“Ladies and gentlemen, instead of having a president in our country I propose an unelected leader. This person and members of their family will carry out certain functions similar to that of a president. This new 'regime' has the power of veto of any legislation as it sees fit but if this is exercised it is possible that their authority may be curtailed by removing this privilege. This new head of state will also be head of the Church of England and therefore spiritual head of just under half of the population in the United Kingdom and many more throughout the world. We will provide several large houses, palaces, estates and give the new head of state a life of luxury with servants and staff. We have decided that the Royal Household will be exempted from all aspects of the freedom of information act and so will be veiled in a certain amount of secrecy despite being funded by the tax payer. We as a nation will provide private transportation for the family and certain members of the household, including flights, road vehicles and trains. This new head of state will be expected to carry out certain government and civic functions but generally the amount of work carried out will be of their own choosing. On the death of the proposed monarch the oldest child will inherit the title of head of state, who of course will not be elected. The appointment will generally be irrespective of their competence and ability. The monarch can carry out their job as they see fit and will not loose this position should they perform poorly. The estimated annual cost to the nation will be in the region of £150 million. To fund this we will discontinue 5000 nurses, doctors and teachers posts.”

Not many sane people would accept the above proposal. Because of wholesale marketing which is second to none and as it maintains the status quo of our history it is not just accepted but embraced by a vast majority of the British people. There are many arguments put forward by royalists in favour of the monarchy but on close inspection none of the ones I have seen have solid foundations.

People of Britain, we have been brainwashed in ways that Kim Jon Un ( the supreme leader of North Korea) could only dream of.

American Elections

Eight years ago the American presidential elections were of no interest to me personally or most of my fellow Brits. The election had no significant following in the mainstream media except for an acknowledgement that they were happening and brief synopsis of the campaign highlights. Of course there was the Florida voting scandal which was discussed in our serious media at great length and made some of us wonder if the "great American democracy" was simply a well marketed myth.

So why am I so interested when I previously really couldn't care? The reason, without a doubt is that it has become very apparent how a manipulative, corrupt and incompetent American presidential administration can affect not just the United States but the whole world in such a detrimental way. Being part of the rest of the world my country has been adversely affected in many ways and therefore I care deeply who wins the election.

This year we have been able to follow closely the party conventions and presidential / vice presidential debates live on our own news channels and there has been serious and interesting debate and in depth analysis. I suspect that maybe this is because that there are many people who feel the same about the Bush administration and crave for a change and follow this election like no previous American one. There are other reasons that this particular election is of significant interest. One being the potential for historic change in the new president being black or vice president being a woman or earlier this year the potential for a woman president.

Here is where I have to own up to my less serious nature and admit that I am taking perverse joy from seeing the republican candidates go looking for banana skins to fall over at every opportunity. Furthermore I can not count the amount of times I have laughed at the shallowness of Sarah Palin hiding behind pre-planned catch phrases and rehearsed diatribe so that she can avoid answering questions. As far as I am concerned it is a shame she is avoiding open contact with the general media and rationing her own brand of humour. As for "that one" McCain, he makes me laugh and shudder at the same time. Without having known how this man had suffered under horrific conditions in a North Vietnamese prison camp I would have eventually come to the conclusion that he is an unstable psychotic small man with a large chip on his shoulder. Having learnt of his tribulations in prison I thought that this was a possibility some time ago. I would at this point love to be even handed and criticise Obama and Biden but compared to their republican opposition these two, perhaps ordinary, men look like political heavywieghts.

I really do wish my thoughts and ideas on this subject were not so one sided but they are what they are. Being so biased and looking from the outside I can't understand why there are still so many Americans intending to vote for McCain/Palin. Perhaps that is because I am not on the inside and can see the wood from the trees. If I were brought up on a farm in deepest Idaho or a white baptist ex military man from Alabama maybe I would agree with what that man and his inflatable doll were telling me. Despite the fact that they are not necessarily full of substance and sometimes incoherent and inconsistant, maybe I would be sucked in by the awful plug words and empty rhetoric. Our cultures are different and although I have worked in many parts of the states I still don't appreciate what drives the ordinary American person politically.

At this point I must break off and say a prayer of thanks that I am not that Idaho farmer even though I am sure he is happy in his cocoon of illusion.

Danny H 9th Oct 08