Before he joined the Guardian looney tune crowd Jonathan Freedland wrote a republican manifesto called “Bringing Home The Revolution“. Early on in it, I think, there is a nice little paragraph about how the American dream is to arrive with nothing, work hard, and then watch your son strive and study until one day he becomes President; and that the British dream is that one day the Queen will come round for tea.
The Royal Family is a terrible symbol of much that is wrong with the UK, but (and here is where the ‘Blog known as “God Save The Queen” stole my word) its dimwitted members are distractions from the real enemies of those of us who dream of true equality of opportunity here. I was going to post against the Virtual Stoa’s recent attack on the aristocracy, but I haven’t got the time and the energy currently. Luckily Steve has.
Distractions? All the more reason to get rid of them as quickly as possible so we can get on with the real business.
Oh, and Freedland’s not bad, he’s not in the Milne category.
Assuming we wish to retain a bicameral government, there is always the problem with replacing the monarch as head of state with an elected representative.
Back in my youth, the concept of President Thatcher was enough to strike dead any ideas of this sort.
Suggestions for a replacment on a postcard, please ?
“Distractions? All the more reason to get rid of them as quickly as possible so we can get on with the real business.”
Let’s be utilitarian about this, brothers (and political siblings of all genders and orientations). If we’re talking about persistent inherited advantage in the UK, then the aristocracy are statistically unimportant—just as fox-hunting accounts for a tiny fraction of animal suffering here.
However, both the royals and the twits in pink are (bizarrely) loved by people from many social classes. Getting rid either of them completely would require huge amounts of energy “we” could better apply elsewhere, and apply with much wider positive effects.
Annoyingly, reasoned argument about this question is breaking out across our Leftish corner of the ‘Blogosphere so I might have to open a couple of books and wade in myself now. Bugger.
[Participating properly in this debate would, of course, distract me from PooterGeek’s real business of taking the piss out of establishments of all kinds, thereby illustrating my point rather neatly, I’d say.]
“Suggestions for a replacement on a postcard, please?”
Well I’m up for it. Seriously, how hard can it b? Loads of other countries manage it without difficulty. We couldn’t do much worse than Charles surely? I’m not thinking of some kind of powerful figure like in France or America, just a kind of constitutional overseer and dignitary-welcomer. I’d nominate Michael Foot if he were a few years younger. Maybe Neil Kinnock?
Kinnock? Are you out of your mind? The solution is obvious – TIMMY MALLET FOR KING!
Is that an elected king or just a change of dynasty?