A Socialist Monarchy?

[Tuf Pic]

I hope this doesn't end up aggravating anyone, but,

A socialist monarchy? - Alternate History Discussion Board


What do you all think of this idea?!


Personally, my only real problem with this thread is the part that talks about "unearned luxury", because, to quote from the Mad Monarchist:

Royals are too out of touch. They have no idea how regular people live.
Some people believe this, but it simply isn’t true. Queen Elizabeth II was a mechanic and truck driver during World War II, the King of Thailand is a renowned jazz musician and composer, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has painted illustrations for several books, including the Danish edition of “The Lord of the Rings”. The Emperor of Japan grows his own rice, the King of Cambodia was a practically anonymous dance instructor before coming to the throne and many royal heirs take ordinary jobs, often in obscure places where they are unknown, after finishing school. Despite what people think, royal life is not all champagne and caviar. Compare this to many presidents who have often never worked outside the public sector in their entire lives, never served in the military (as most royals do) or ever known any other life besides making speeches and casting votes.

But otherwise I can somewhat empathize with the intent of the above thread!!


Thoughts, anyone?!

EDIT: http://www.madmonarchist.blogspot.com/p/myths.html

 

[Moonmaiden23]

So....just because QEII had a stint as a mechanic to help the war effort as a young woman, and just because one monarch paints as a hobby and another grows his own rice garden as a hobby... they can be compared to men and women who must perform this type of labor as life long career...and still have to concern themselves with mortgages, tuition, medical bills....etc?

And they know what it's like to live as "average" people??

I am sorry, but that's absurd.

 

[COUNTESS]

So....just because QEII had a stint as a mechanic to help the war effort as a young woman, and just because one monarch paints as a hobby and another grows his own rice garden as a hobby... they can be compared to men and women who must perform this type of labor as life long career...and still have to concern themselves with mortgages, tuition, medical bills....etc?

And they know what it's like to live as "average" people??

I am sorry, but that's absurd.

They haven't a clue. You are right. They never wake up worrying about how to pay the mortgage and send the kids to college. They don't shop for groceries and have to figure how much they can afford. Where did they get the idea that president never worked outside the public sector. And even if that is true, they still worked to earn a living. Some came from wealth and privilege and still worked. Of course, then they fall into the other side, they didn't have to worry.
Queen Elizabeth II, never has worried about any of the mundane things that mere mortals have. She never had to figure out where to get the money to buy a house or for that matter a dress. Her short stint in WWII, did not constitute knowledge of how the working class really lives.

 

[BritishRoyalist]

I disagree that Monarchs don't know how the General Public live, I think they know more then we think they do. Queen Victoria was quite aware of how The Poor lived and was expose to poverty at a Young age. She knew what Poverty was and how poor some peoples were and how they lived and knew they lived differently Same with Edward VII, Edward VIII and George VI. I am sure Elizabeth II is aware herself. They are not blind like some think.


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[COUNTESS]

Victoria was poor, but not by poor standards. And they lived off the largess of very wealthy relatives. And they had very wealthy relatives. The poor do not. They, often, have no one in their lives to help. Why? Because they are all poor. And Middle class people struggle with many of these things, too. The royals are not blind, but they have no idea how it feels. You cannot know unless you have lived that. I haven't either, so I can be sorry and concerned, but you cannot know what you have not lived. The royals do live in great, unearned, luxury as someone here stated. They have problems, never concerning money.

 

[Al_bina]

You are right. The senior British royals have a very vague how to live in a real world.

 

[ImKevin]

The Royals indeed have countless problems but not by what we usually think are . Its a huge responsibility to take care of a country . You're constantly trying to make sure you're not throwing yourself in another war or a small war at that . One would wake up wondering what he or she must do to reduce the poverty in his nation . Its all huge stress that these royals would deal with . SURE , they get luxury but they i believe in a sense also knows what its like to be poor .

 

[COUNTESS]

The Royals indeed have countless problems but not by what we usually think are . Its a huge responsibility to take care of a country . You're constantly trying to make sure you're not throwing yourself in another war or a small war at that . One would wake up wondering what he or she must do to reduce the poverty in his nation . Its all huge stress that these royals would deal with . SURE , they get luxury but they i believe in a sense also knows what its like to be poor .

Don't be ridiculous. Constitutional Monarchs do not make these decisions. Their Parliaments and Prime Ministers do. Many times, they are just a rubber stamp. Some try to garner economic partnerships, but they cannot run the country. They have no idea what it is like for any person who goes to war, has no money, works hard for every dime and has to worry about jobs and putting food on their table and shelter for their families. I have read many books about many things and intellectually understand the problems, but I do not know how anyone really feels about something I have never lived. They may care, but they do not experience any of these things and live very cosseted lives.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Especially the Scandinavian ones have had decades of socialist (Labour) majorities in Parliament. The UK and Spain have had periods with absolute socialist (Labour) majorities. The Benelux monarchies have had coalition govermments with socialists (Labour) as largest politcial family.

In constitutional monarchies it does not matter what colour the politcial majority has. A constitutional head of state will do nothing without the backing of the ministers, no matter what their political colour is.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I disagree that Monarchs don't know how the General Public live, I think they know more then we think they do. Queen Victoria was quite aware of how The Poor lived and was expose to poverty at a Young age. She knew what Poverty was and how poor some peoples were and how they lived and knew they lived differently Same with Edward VII, Edward VIII and George VI. I am sure Elizabeth II is aware herself. They are not blind like some think.


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If young Victoria was ever exposed to poverty, it was the genteel kind of poverty that in no way resembles what the average man, woman and child is exposed to.

Living in a run down palace or castle, having to make do with one or even no Royal tiara as opposed to half a dozen, and wearing a Royal relatives cast-off ball gowns is an example of genteel poverty.

Going without dinner a couple of days in a row, having one's lights turned off because you can't afford to pay, and sleeping on a friends sofa after being evicted for failing to pay your rent is REAL poverty.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I find it all pretty nonsense anyway to come up with Victoria and her contemporaries. Most of today's socialist leaders have enjoyed a carefree youth and excellent education, also thanks to the welfare state their predecessors once build op. My own socialist President, M François Hollande, enjoyed his education at the prestigious École Nationale d'Administration, THE school for anyone who wants to make a career in the French public service or politics. The previous French socialist President, M François Mitterrand was the son of an entrepreneur and went to private schools and then to the prestigious École Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris. Felipe González, whom served King Juan Carlos for four successive mandates as Prime Minister, was a socialist as well but studied Law and became an attorney. Tony Blair, the longest serving Labour PM in British history went to private schools and became a barrister before entering politics. Really, none of them has experienced poverty and it is absurd to blame royals for not knowing what poverty is, the very leaders of today's Labour parties themselved also do not come from the most impoverished sectors of society either.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I don't in any way blame them for not knowing what poverty is. I just think it absurd to pretend that they do know. Royals have their own unique set of challenges and some of them do indeed mirror those of non-Royals...it's just that poverty is not one of them.

 

[victoriaalix]

This is probably the closest thing to an actual Socialist Monarchy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Revolutionary_Government_(Grenada)

Other than that, most socialist governments that existed were either democratic socialist or socialist authoritarian.