The YES to Independence campaign is about to launch in Scotland
this Friday, followed shortly thereafter by the 'Jubilee' holiday -
the establishment trying to reinforce the institution of monarchy
aided by a sycophantic media hyperbole. So vile it is like
trying to spoonfeed us, and especially children, something sickening
and poisonous while rotting corpses litter the house. It's out
of control. Astonishingly, this weekend there has been an
attempt by parts of the YES campaign to silence any discussion
whatsoever on the subject of the monarchy, saying this will damage
the campaign. The reality is that trying to silence people is
what is damaging and absolutely unacceptable. As if the
intolerance and imposition of monarchy upon us was not bad enough
already. It is completely and utterly wrong to try to stifle
debate on this or any other issue.
Scratch the surface and one of them declares as a monarchist.
So no-one is supposed to say anything for fear of upsetting the
monarchists? Why would that be? The answer is because
they have no arguments to debate with, which they even admit
themselves, 'not one decent, logical, morally-sound argument for the
retention of the Royal family in the 21st century' wrote a
monarchist on Sunday here
before claiming 'we love' Liz Windsor, as if it was about her as a
person and not about a secretive, monolithic institution absorbing
millions in public money every year, with an outrageous sense of
entitlement to any and all public money astonishing
populated by anonymous officials who speak as buildings - 'the palace
says' 'Clarence House denies', an institution reinforcing and
perpetuating an antiquated feudal political system with monarchic
powers swilling around to be accessed by whomsoever manoeuvres their
way into Number 10, completely disproportionate to the democratic
mandate their party did, or did not, gain and irrelevant to any deals
struck with other parties. Too much of the wrong kind of
corrupting power, available at Westminster.
How can we 'love' this remote woman who most of us have never met,
nor ever will meet, and whose image is so very carefully controlled,
as is she? We do not know her. Your town will contain a
sweet old lady who may appreciate a bunch of flowers if that's your
motivation - give one of them some of your 'love'. Monarchists
who profess 'love' for Liz Windsor should perhaps consider being at
the centre of this stultifying institution as 'their' queen is an
abuse of her a
sad life She has no human right to vote, stand for election
or determine her own destiny, she has not the right to speak anything
but the elected government's words. She is silenced in public
as the institution also tries to silence dissent from the people. She
and her son do have the right to veto government legislation of
course and she has access to the Prime Minister's ear every week
where no-one knows what she says then when she is not silenced.
Still it would appear that this 'royal' family would be happier and
we'd all be healthier if they were a corgi-whisperer or a woffly
weatherman. Certainly there are monarchy fanatics like
this who fill their homes, or business as in this case, with
memorabilia and try to impose their fanaticism on others, but there
are fanatics of many things and people, so what? Should one of
the Beatles or Bay City Rollers have been head of state?
We're told 'the problem' for republicans is everything we say
'makes perfect sense 'and yet here we are'. Ah, as if by magic.
The monarchy springs up like a snowdrop through the frozen
ground. Absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the £36,000+
,of public money of course, that offices at Clarence House and
Buckingham Palace have access to every single day to use in the PR
promotion of the institution of monarchy then? Not the
relentless sycophantic media. Nothing whatsoever to do with the
insidious permeation of institutions and organisations with 'royal'
this, 'royal' that, patron of this, patron of that, the Crown in
Parliament, the Sovereign at the core and apogee of a class structure
never dismantled, the same families in power century after century.
The descendant of the schemer behind the Glencoe massacre and the
union, John Dalrymple Master of Stair, in the House of Lords now.
In 1911 the House of Lords and parliament passed an Act stating it
would become determined by popular vote rather than heredity, and
then, what happened? Did they all prick their fingers on a
needle and fall asleep for a hundred years? They may as well
have. The excruciating spectacle last year of the Speaker of
the House of Commons whispering in the chamber about how "very
rare, very sparing and very respectful" any mention of
the royal family should be, when MPs were trying to discuss the
unfortunate behaviour and associations of Andrew Windsor.
Perhaps a fairy dies every time the royal family is mentioned in
Westminster. But apparently none of this is what is reinforcing
the monarchy, which is actually a Christmas miracle in the face of
its own indefensibility. Aye right.
Monarchists are trying to tell us that a majority of people are so
enamoured of Elizabeth Windsor and so thrilled in anticipation at the
prospect of Charles as their next head of state that they won't vote
YES to independence if they think NO is the best way of keeping the
monarchy? The concept is ridiculous. What about the many
who will vote YES as the best and quickest way to get rid of it?
That's the reality. And how do you argue for escape from the
Westminster system without talking about what the Westminster system
entails? It makes no sense. Tell the truth and shame the
devil. This should be about opening things up not shutting them down, about moving forward not standing still and terrified.
People should not be silent, nor bow their heads, nor be forced to
stand up for something they don't believe in or are actively opposed
to and they should not be forced to swear an oath of allegiance they
do not mean one word of. Any blind faith some people might have
in monarchy is their problem, not ours, and they're welcome to it.
People can carry on their worshipping and fanaticism about this
family after they have been removed from hereditary position in
government, access to public money and occupation of public buildings
and land. Don't be surprised if they might not want you to
though.
