Sat. May 6, 2023
I used to be an Anglophile; I used to love everything English as a young man and even into my middle years! I still think that England is still one of the most scenic countries in the world. The whole country is like an English garden, well-manicured, pleasing to the eyes, and contained. I’ve always loved British history, the romanticism and chivalry of it all, that is, until colonialism took over! Most of all, though, I love, will always love, English literature: Pope, Grey, Shakespeare, Byron, Shelly, Wordsworth, Tennyson, and my favorite, John Keats, who died too young. I think that it is the love of nature in most of their poems that drew me to them, plus a little indoctrination from our teachers in primary schools.
As I watched the coronation of Charles III, and as I learned that this whole ceremony cost over 100 million dollars, I became more and more disillusioned, even a bit angry. All this pomp and circumstance, for what? Tradition? Something they denied us of; their tradition became ours. “We was robbed”, as the saying goes. This modern grift is just an extension of a 1,000-year-old tradition, although well into the 18th century the monarchy had to work for a living! They had a say in the administration, the growth, the conquests, of their empire, and what an empire! This little island, “this blessed plot,” as the bard refers to it, ruled almost half the world! From America to Africa, to the Middle East, to Asia to Australia, to the Caribbean and parts of South America! Now, that was power!
They plundered and enriched themselves on the backs of the conquered. They did this all as ruthlessly and as efficiently as if they were ordained by some divinity to do so. Then, after taking all they could wring out of the natural resources of their colonies, finally, in the 20th century they decided to grant us our independence. How jolly upstanding!! I think independence was spurred not only by nationalism in the colonies, but also because too many of the “natives” were migrating to the motherland! England was losing its monolithic status, began browning, to the alarm of everyone, including the monarchy.
The royals live off the teats of the people, for free, these days. All you have to do is to be born into the family and you are guaranteed prestige and deference and entitlement! 100 million dollars for an outdated, unnecessary lifestyle and distraction that takes away from the plight of the poor, of the former colonies, who definitely need to be reimbursed for colonization. I won’t use the word reparations. That word to me means nothing, and turns off too many people. They see it as us asking for a handout! To be reimbursed for all that was taken from us seems more acceptable!
All the money wasted on these people, the so-called Royals, and their extended families, could be used to help the victims of famine, for the substandard ways in which many live, even in England itself. All that gold and art and crowns and carriages and pomp, stolen from the conquered, should be used to make amends, and not to pamper these imperfect, undeserving imposters! They have to be the largest welfare recipients in the world! Their time is past; it should be no more!
“Rule Britannia. Britannia rules the waves! Britons never, never shall be slaves.”
What about the rest of us? Hip hip and cheerio, lads!
Glen