Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Royals - Much Ado about Nothing by Louis Evan Palmer


There was a time long ago when a royal was a royal for a reason - some achievement requiring courage and guile, some extraordinary skill ... something other than being born to so-and-so. And even for those who were just born into it, there was an expectation that they would be contributing and leading as soon as practical. They would be performing important government functions (qualified or not) or missions or leading actual armies or navies into battle. And it was a vastly different world. Nowadays, royalty is merely ceremonial and a ceremonial position that depends solely on birth is nothing but a parasitic position.

The latest "Will & Kate" wedding and recent trip to Canada highlight this empty


charade. Neither of them has achieved anything of note. Nor has the Queen or any of
the so-called royal family. "Being" a so-called royal is the sole criteria and
then for Kate being selected to join this high-profile social and occasional
short-term "work" club.

This is leadership distilled down to a thin-shelled facade - form, finery and
social frippery. And for this, the United Kingdom and its Commonweath pay huge sums
on a continuing basis. People look up to these shells in gratitude and respect?
For what? For dressing up as if in another bygone era? For drivelling on about
"we're this" and "we're that"?

People will eventually wake up from this medieval trance and oust the monarchy
and return the people's assets back to them. Ceremonial positions based on merit
and limited in duration are acceptable and understandable and supportable. However,
positions and wealth and undue respect and deferrence due solely to birth have
no place in an equitable modern world.



The Royals - Much Ado about Nothing, The Way It Can Be, Louis Evan Palmer, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2011 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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