@ianbremmer From the WSJ: “…several people noted the spectacle of horses running wild covered in blood through central London didn’t look good. (Adding to the sense of doom was that the clock on the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the Big Ben bell, suddenly started telling the wrong time—an issue that was soon fixed.)” #london#monarchy#horses
From the WSJ: “…several people noted the spectacle of horses running wild covered in blood through central London didn’t look good. (Adding to the sense of doom was that the clock on the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the Big Ben bell, suddenly started telling the wrong time—an issue that was soon fixed.)” #london#monarchy#horses
'The treatment of Kate Middleton shows exactly why we shouldn’t have a royal family...
Jennie Kermode takes a contrarian but perhaps more compassionate view of the Princess of Wales’ position, caught as she is between the need for privacy & our need for all to be revealed'.
An interesting argument for why a Presidential system (encompassing the Royal Family) might be better for all involved.
German #folklore is full of tales of evil, prideful nobles who were eventually punished for their sins.
So why is modern media - starting with #Disney , and moving on from there - so full of pro- #monarchy propaganda instead? Lots of "Just Kings", "Plucky Princesses", and so forth. Why is the implication in media nowadays that being exalted by the circumstances of your birth is likely to make you a good person? Instead of being totally oblivious to your own class privilege - and that's probably the best case!
I wonder if anyone has done any scientific research on all these "pro-monarchy" narratives in modern media, and how they came into existence.
Alternate Headline that would actually deserve to be on a Canadian top-news page:
“Kate Photo Scandal another reason Canada should divorce itself from this circus”.
I mean, for the love of god, WHO CARES.
They Don't Live Here.
None of them have any impact on our day to day lives.
They aren't even Canadian Citizens.
It's just gossip. That's all it's good for. Stupid, meaningless, gossip.
@chris
The #monarchy is one of the elements of Canadian government that works well, an enduring, non-partisan element at the top of our political system, connecting us to our heritage, a reason for politicians not to put on airs.
Besides, articles like the one you're complaining about exist because of popular interest. If Canada were a republic, the #CBC would still have published that story. Gossip maybe, but gossip many in the public want to read.
I'd be happy to discuss the merits and demerits of the Canadian #monarchy with you, @chris , as time permits.
Let's get a few subsidiary issues out of the way first:
I agree that parliamentary democracy is entirely compatible with a republic, and that the head of state in such a system could be selected in many different ways (e.g., #TrinidadAndTobago has the parliament choose its president) — I think that's a preferable system to a presidential republic; probably you do too?
It may be that, somewhere within the bowels of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, there is an editor saying, "Our mission is to promote national consciousness. Get me more stories about the Royals!" That may be — but I doubt it. I think the sort of people who join the CBC are more likely to share your views of the monarchy than mine (alas). Compare the number of search results at cbc.ca for "British monarchy" vs. "Canadian monarchy".
@chris
2. That's high prominence, yes, much more than on #CBC Radio. Maybe it was at the top of their Web news because it attracted lots of clicks? I myself went looking for the story, to see if the image appeared Photoshopped to me.
It's just a fact that lots of people like to read about the Royal family, even in republics. That's why stories like these get so much attention.
Shall we move on to a general discussion of the #monarchy in Canada?
The King of England lies dying and one of his sons has been exiled. A princess has vanished. Plague stalks the land and the Treasury has been plundered.
NOW is the time for strange women lying in ponds to distribute swords to form the basis of government.