Symbolic Monarchy is a Stain Upon Any Nation That Respects It

by EZRA KRONFELD

Within western countries, there are systems that liberate and systems that enslave. Democracy and justice serve the citizenry, while forces of demagogic injustice work to keep the people down. The monarchical form of government wherein unelected royals rule the commoners is a near universally despised and archaic tradition that has ended in most civilized societies. Certain peoples, however, have chosen to continue this system in a ritualistic sense, rather than a literal sense. They have decided as a society to look back at this oppressive tradition in sick admiration. England is of course the most notable western nation to maintain this sort of thing.

English tabloids fawned over the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2011, and scores of American citizens watched their nuptials on television. This is of no less vapidness than reality television or the Kardashians. These people are only of note to the public because their ancestors unjustly ruled the English masses, and for some reason, they’re still allowed to maintain some form of power.

Of course the people of England haven’t all risen up to abolish the monarchy; it has been fed to them as a symbol of national pride by their media, thus making a criticism of the monarch akin to criticizing the whole of the United Kingdom.

“Constitutional monarchy”, as displayed in the countries that maintain them (specifically European nations) is still monarchy. As long as there is still a systematically-preferential “royal bloodline”, wherein certain people are granted wealth, comfort, and national respect on the arbitrary basis of inherited power is certainly a harmful system. The tax dollars of the working man going towards a Sovereign Grant is outrageous.

Even after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which had led to a limited monarchy in the United Kingdom, Queen Anne was still able to veto an Act of Parliament nearly two decades later.

Imagine a post-slave trade nation implementing “symbolic” slavery. This would involve the descendants of the oppressed paying or working without pay to keep the lives of the oppressors’ descendants elegant, with all who occupy the country being taught to respect this system that they fought to end long ago.

Well that is essentially what “constitutional monarchy” is. Well I ask that we not re-polish the rusted shackles that once bound us, that we cease national respect of the old systems that kept us powerless. I would compel the freethinking populace to oppose tyranny, and abolish it in all its forms.

Ezra Kronfeld is an independent writer and journalist.

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https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/08/02/symbolic-monarchy-is-a-stain-upon-any-nation-that-respects-it/