The British Constitutional Monarchy
I really don't see how you can logically deduce what is in the minds of every voter that casts a ballot for the Labour Party, that is rather a stretch and a bit of mind reading.
When people vote, they usually do so with an idea of what they're voting for. So, if people vote Conservative they will generally believe in Conservatism and if people vote for Labour they will generally believe in Socialism. Of course there are wasted votes but look at 1997 - a perfect opportunity to make change when socialism was demanded by the people. Did we get it? We got some of it but not all and I think had the monarchy hit critical point over the Diana death hoo-hah then Tony Blair would have had an opportunity to end the monarchy. I have no doubt that had it been Gordon Brown in office back then we'd be a very different nation now.
No country gets elections on demand, there are systems in place that govern the calling of election. No nation on this planet has direct democracy, all that do have a democratic form of government have representative form of government. I believe yours is Parliamentarian?
Exactly - no nation has direct democracy so no nation has real democracy. They have an autocracy that is hidden behind the more acceptable name of democracy. You say that only very wealthy people and those with the rights connections can afford to run for office in some countries - one of those countries is Britain. The ordinary working man will never get into parliament because a) it's believed that the cost to run a campaign is over £50,000 and b) if he isn't in one of the major three parties he can't win. He could get onto local council in local elections but he'll never make it into the Commons. But with proportional represenation (which still needs regulations) means that he can and that change is more evident.
Are you proposing SLAVERY for the Queen and the Royal Family? That they should receive nothing and spend their life working for free for you and the rest of the British public? Just who do you think you are that is so important that you are entitled to something like that?
Of course I'm not proposing slavery. Who said I wanted to keep them working for free? Good heavens no, what I'm proposing is that they either stay in Britain and get real jobs, live as real people and recieve the same rights as all other citizens would or they go abroad and live out their fantasys of still being in the Palace. As to who do I think I am - I think I'm a British citizen who has the freedom of speech and expression. I have the freedom and the right to outline the Britain I want to see and I have the right to colloborate with others who feel the same way in order to bring about change. It isn't importance, it's a human right and something which I'm entitled to under the UN Charter of 1947 and the Treaty of Rome.
I must say your postings can lead one to believe that you have Communist political views? Perhaps you could clarify that for me, in relation to how that would impact the UK should they become the majority view in the UK?
Communism is a vast umbrella term for many different schools of thought but I would say to you that communists do exist in Britain. They'd never get a chance to take control in this climate but it's this climate that means we get the rise of the extremes. Over the last 10 years, the various communist parties as well as the fascist parties have recieved a very clear rise in votes because people look to extremes when centrist politics fails. Now, these extremist parties have very extremist plans and the monarchy is always in their manifesto's whereas it's lacking from the three major parties. For example, the British National Party holds the monarchy up as an amazing institution that must be protected and should be celebrated as a symbol of Britain. The Worker's Party says that it should be abolished and a structure akin to that of the USSR put in. The problem is, both parties want something that is unachievable.
Britain will never accept the monarchy being ousted in the name of equality if a Ceacescu like figure takes the Queen's place and begins to live as royalty whilst the working classes suffer. Thats what we see with the majority of former communist states because they were operating on Stalinist communism. However, look at China which has it's problems and serious human rights abuses marked clearly against it's name but there's no denying that Maoism works for them. Communism is not one theory, it's hundreds of theories and so if you want to call me a communist then I respect your right to do so but I'd ask you to identify which sort of communist you believe I am. Being a communist doesn't nessecarily mean that one wishes to see persecution of massive groups of people or the murder of a Royal Family - again, very different schools of thought. Not every communist is a Marxist. There are Trotskyites, Leninists, Luxemburgists, Maoists and Bolsheviks as well as various mixtures.
The far left in Britain is extremely dis-organised but it does agree with the end to the hereditary priveledge which means the abolishment of the House of Lords and the monarchy. It is my belief that most people agree with them on the House of Lords and once that's gone, it's only a matter of time before people apply the reasons we abolished the Lords to the monarchy and abolish that.
Lastly, at least at this time I can find not one public opinion poll conducted in the UK that would suggest that the Monarchy be abolished. I would suggest that your views are quite in the minority.
They are in the minority because no major party has the guts to take a stance on the issue. If they all had to make their position clear as to whether monarchists or republicans, I think you'd find that more people opened up on the issue and that my views (whilst probably not the majority) would form a significant base of opinion. The fact is that to call it a constitutional monarchy is a gross oxymoron. We have no constitution, we have a series of acts of parliament that give the rich the upper hand. The problem in Britain at the moment is that the voting majority are people over the age of 60. Now today that means the monarchy is safe but when the 70s kids and 80s kids become those 60 year olds - things will change. Those eras were far less deferential and so there's a young generation of republicans that I predict will insist on a decision on the Lords and the Monarchy in the next 40 years or so. I think that's a shame because we miss an opportunity to end the charade after Charles has had his go, which misses an opportunity to welcome the new republic in with dignity. But oh well....
