Maybe I am not keeping up with what is going on in the world but I thought that the real critical issues deserving and demanding our attention were ....
- A Covid-19 pandemic leaving millions dead
- A climate emergency and biodiversity crisis
- Ongoing wars and conflicts in Yemen, the Middle East and elsewhere
- Human rights issues in China, Myanmar and elsewhere
- The ongoing threat of terrorism
- Global poverty and inequality
- The collapse of advanced global economies and insufficient support to developing countries.
Basically we have existential threats to the very future of sustainable, peaceful, co-operative life on Earth but instead we have a ridiculous circus dominating the media.
We have the hypocrisy of Harry and Megan demanding privacy and then blatantly self-promoting themselves, blatantly attention and publicity seeking. Their interview billed with Oprah Winfrey was billed as the world TV moment of the year, this being an interview with a couple who supposedly left the UK to enjoy a “quiet life”. Stop wanting everyone to like you. Take care of yourselves quietly and enjoy all your wealth, privilege and celebrity fame. A lot of people have real problems. No one wants you to be sad. We just want you to be quiet and get on with your new lives.
We have the hypocrisy of the so-called Royal Family. There are the less than subtle attacks on the outcasts from the family. There are commitments to investigate claims of historical bullying from Megan. However, there is not a word about the behaviour of Andrew or ensuring that he co-operates with sex trafficking and child abuse investigations in the US. Talk about having your priorities wrong. The pathetic fawning deference and idolatry of the flag-waving monarchists and royalists and the obsessive and sensationalist right wing media reporting continues.
The Daily Mirror said over the weekend …. “The Royal Family and courtiers versus Meghan Markle and Harry Windsor is a battle both sides deserve to lose. Has there ever been a worse bunch of moaning, entitled, preening, selfish, egotistical, privileged, indulged and out-of-touch narcissists who think the entire world revolves around them?”.
As a staunch Republican almost since
I could spell the word “queen”, I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Perhaps someone can tell me why we need a Royal Family or what benefit ordinary people get from them?
The monarchy is an outdated institution, built on feudalism and colonialism and tone deaf to the needs and demands of our modern times.
We live in the 21st century. The reform, modernisation and strengthening of our democracy is long overdue. The abolition of an unelected head of state and all the other heavily taxpayer subsidised hangers-on would be a very good start.
Perhaps it is too much to hope that this circus marks the start of a nation questioning the anachronistic institutions and protocols it blindly accepts as parts of British life. We should be embarrassed and ashamed that we still have a monarchy and an unelected and undemocratic head of state in what is claimed to be a modern democracy.
The monarchy needs to be abolished and the monarch replaced with a democratic head of state elected by the people (we are people not “subjects”), a person not running the Government but someone representing the nation independently of our politicians. An elected, accountable and effective head of state.
When the Queen dies, let's elect a head of state. If the monarchists and royalists are so keen on Charles becoming head of state, they can urge him to run for President of the Republic of the United Kingdom (assuming of course that Scotland and Wales have not achieved independence and that Northern Ireland has not become part of a reunified Ireland). If it is his divine birth right then he will win the popular vote won't he?
Of course many of the monarchists and royalists want to skip a generation and see William as King. A hereditary monarchy skipping a generation because some people don't like the next in line? Try figuring that logic out!
What could we possibly do with all that money saved on not having an extended Royal Family and not having to pay these people to live a life of luxury and privilege? Just a suggestion but how about a decent pay rise for all those wonderful NHS workers who have put their lives on the line for us or the much needed investment in so many other parts of our society that would benefit normal people.
I refuse to watch royal weddings, royal funerals or any royal event. They are a complete waste of my time. Life is too short to indulge all the attention heaped on such a dysfunctional and undeserving family.
I certainly won’t be watching the Oprah Winfrey interview but unfortunately I have woken up to massive wall-to-wall coverage on the 24 hour news media.
FFS! …. get a life, get your priorities right!
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