Don't get me wrong. As a father who sweated four times and bit my nails to the stumps as I imagined all sorts of things going wrong, I'm happy that the Middleton woman has come through the ordeal and mother and babby are apparently doing well. What depresses me are two things.
The first is that the third in line to the English throne will be yet another mouth for the public to feed - current costing puts it at £200 million. Cheap at the price, given the interest of the outside world and the benefits in tourism. Right on the first, wrong on the second. Buckingham Palace doesn't make it into the Top 20 tourist atractions and costs a fortune to maintain - unlike the Tower of London, which has no royals in it at the moment and cost the public purse zilch.
Finally, I have to confess to a kind of sadness. The mystery of the arrival of another unique human life on our planet is indeed something to rejoice in. The sad part is that this life, if things stay as they are, will be a wasted life. He'll get some pseudo job in the army as a young man, he'll twiddle his thumbs waiting for his da to die or pack the job in, and then he'll be ferried around to be gawked at and cheered, while he does the hugely significant thing of waving and grinning in return. We all get just one shot at life, and it'd be nice to think it had some worthwhile meaning, something of substance to contribute. Except he gets lucky and the monarchy crashes before it's his turn, this new young one is doomed.
Congratulations to them hope everything goes well with the baby!
ReplyDeleteThat said.
‘He'll get some pseudo job in the army as a young man, he'll twiddle his thumbs waiting for his da to die or pack the job in, and then he'll be ferried around to be gawked at and cheered, while he does the hugely significant thing of waving and grinning in return.’
The Royal Family are extremely useful to some. The Prime Minister bows to the Queen at every briefing, so it is simple to see where the true power lies. It isn't in Parliament.
Here is how Gerald James an insider described it:
‘It is important to note that all main members of the Cabinet become members of the Privy Council as do leaders and sometimes the deputy leaders of the opposition parties.’
‘The Privy Council oath which all members take means they cannot freely discuss any matter they are informed of or told of “Under Privy Council terms”. This means that the Cabinet and opposition leaders cannot discuss freely in Parliament or elsewhere any matter told to them on “Privy Council terms”. This means in practice that the key MPs cannot discharge their democratic duties. It is in effect a gagging system like Public Interest Immunity Certificates dispensed by Judges on application of Government and its agencies. All senior Judges and Appeal Judges are Privy Councillors as is the Lord Chancellor, The Attorney and Solicitor General and other invited and key persons. This secret unelected body has a wide range of powers. On the surface other permanent secretaries, sometimes the Cabinet Secretary and certain members of the established aristocracy are Privy Councillors. The appointment is for life and Jonathon Aitken is one of the few members to resign.’
Source: My experiences, the Scott Inquiry, the British Legal System, By Gerald Reaveley James http://parellic.blogspot.com/2010/06/mi6-astra-gerald-reaveley-james-war-in.html
Jude
ReplyDeleteI know you are reluctant to use royal titles lest we think you approve of them, but 'the Middleton woman'is a bit dismissive. Especially after the hot water you got into over the Nigella affair.
I like hot water, Gio - use it all the time for shaving and washing. And since the person in question is a woman as far as I can tell and her name is Middleton, to the best of my knowledge, what's your beef? That I'm 'dismissive'? Oh dear Gio - you really are a laff. Lacking in respect for my betters, would that be it? Don't know my place? Approach with reverence and back out of the room? Mmm. Some seem to enjoy that kind of thing. Include me out.
ReplyDeleteJude
ReplyDeleteIt's not about betters, or knowing your place.I doubt if they are your betters in any way; well better looking maybe.
Just basic respect for another human being. One can be a republican and not be rude. It's bad karma.