The crown rules Britannia

by pat c Tue Jun 05, 2012 13:44

Tony Greenstein vents spleen at the monarchy. Full text at link.

The absurdity of the Monarchy and its Diamon Jubilee hardly needs pointing out. Do doubt the Queen does do a good job. The question though is what that job is. The Monarchy isn’t about opening hospitals or acting as a royal patron for charities. It is about being the symbolic representative of the British state. That is also why Her Maj also runs the State’s prisons (at least until they began to be privatised!).

It symbolises the reactionary and irrational and mystical nature of the British state. A state based on persuading people that they should put their trust in the British Establishment that has such contempt for working class people. The very nature of the Monarchy, with its emphasis on fealty, obedience, a ‘natural’ order where some are born to rule, is something any half-decent socialist and indeed democrat should oppose. As Shelley wrote, the Monarchy is ‘the string that ties the robbers’ bundle.’

It is the State in person, the human representative of all that is most ghastly about the capitalist system. At the same time as working class people are expected to see their pensions slashed, jobs cut, living standards lowered, benefits abolished, the NHS privatised – all in the name of tightening our belts, the Jubilee will cost about a hundred million pounds or so.

The reactionary nature of the monarchy should have been clear to anyone left in doubt when it invited to the Jubilee celebrations none other than the bloodstained King of Bahrain Hamad Al-Khalifa. But why not since the Monarchy has always rested on coercion when required. The corrupt and banal Prince Andrew, in his efforts to secure a little cash on the side for himself, was recorded denouncing ‘absurd’ obstacles to the arms trade, such as human rights considerations.

Through the years the Duke of Edinburgh has given vent to his racist and reactionary outpourings. The Royals are against (working class) ‘scroungers’ whilst having done their best to avoid tax (until it became too much of a political embarrassment). Their palacess are subsidised by the taxpayer, they receive a Civil List, have a Royal fleet of planes, a train and until recently the yacht Brittania. This is in fact an imperial monarchy not a Dutch bicycling one.

Anti-monarchy protesters gather on the banks of the river Thames at city hall, London. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/PA

A variety of tyrants and pretenders. Queen Elizabeth II with her royal guests pose for a picture before her Sovereign Monarchs Jubilee lunch in the Grand reception room at Windsor Castle Photo: AP

by fazed reader Tue Jun 05, 2012 10:06

Don't forget the enduring power of the mass media - radio, TV and the mass circulation newspapers, even magazines like Woman's Weekly and Cosmopolitan which fawn over members of the monarchy and boost their semi-divine image. The mentality of the British people is continually conditioned, sapped and massaged by repetitious bilge, lies and half truths about the real world. Empire nostalgia is a regular dessert on the prolefeed menu.

Irish media are not unaffected by similar mentally debilitating characteristics.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Tue Jun 05, 2012 07:42

first the royal barge sails up the Thames on her....royal barge...

Then Phil the Greek(betcha he's a trojan bondholder)comes down with a ....blather infection..musta caught it from the beeb.

by Harris Watch Mon Jun 04, 2012 19:27

Eoghan Harris attends Jubilee celebrations in Kingston.