Even the Royals are sick of themselves

T.Chong says:

08:10am | 12/04/10

Great work Bazza. I know everyone needs a job but…,
Other than the family these people are born or marry into, what makes any single one of them special?
Why are any of theses people considered natural born reference points for all things wise and virtuos?
Why do some people feel the need to believe that any of these people are better or “more worthy” than anyone else?
Two very good histories of GB ,by Simon Scharma and David Starkey show that British royalty (and all others too) is largely about one particular family having the ability to out manoevure, out plot and even kill their rivals . Devine inspiration, and annoitment it never was.
Sorry to David Flint, Tony Abbott, Bronny Bishop,  and other grovellors, but “royalty ” represent nothing more than vested interests holding tight to the cash cow of lands and institutions that the present lot did nothing to earn.

Captain Col says:

01:58pm | 12/04/10

The Governor General is Australia’s Head of State, Roy.  She holds the same position in Australia’s parliament to the Queen in the UK’s. 

Such a minor issue and you then think the whole system stinks?  Not a single redeeming feature?  Chuck the lot overboard and start with a fresh sheet.  Lots of republican models to choose from.  Make your pick and get everyone to agree.  Give yourself some time though.

Roy McKeen says:

03:42pm | 12/04/10

Yes, Captain Col. Our constitutional monarchy stinks!  It stinks of the sectarian bigotry which prevents a member of the Catholic faith from becoming monarch and which is enshrined in the laws of succession to the throne. To their credit the South Africans got rid of apartheid which was racial bigotry enshrined in law. But after more than 300 years we still have legislation which describes Catholicism as “this damnable doctrine” - Bill of Rights 1688. And which states that” it is inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this protestant kingdom to be governed by a papist.”  Old fashioned language with an outdated, antiquated hatred soaking through every word. And the only instance in the civilised world where prejudice is
enforced through legislation.

Constitutional monarchy stinks with the anti-female gender prejudice which states that in the line of succession to the throne males take preference before females. Thus, if King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had had a son born, say, after Margaret he would have become king. That stinks, Col!

I know people like you, Col. They are ashamed to be Australian. They cheer for England during the Ashes series. They sing ‘God save the queen’  at their monarchist meetings, not ‘Advance Australia Fair.’ They look at Australia’s flag and see only the Union Jack. They still call England home. They believe that monarchy brings stability but in their constitutional amnesia they forget that during the last 40 years of the queen’s reign more than 3,000 of Her Majesty’s subjects have been murdered and more than 40,000 injured in a bitter civil war. At the very heart of that civil war is the sectarian hatred at the pinnacle of which sits a monarchy based on anti-Catholic prejudice. People like you, Col, say that the monarchy brings political stability to Australia. The truth of the matter is that it is the good common sense of the people of Australia that brings political stability to Australia. It is not because of the monarchy. It is in spite of it!

Australia is the land of the fair go. We deserve far, far better than this Ruritanian pantomime to which monarchists love to grovel, curtsey

loz says:

08:37pm | 12/04/10

The members of the Royal Family have a deep affection for this nation. Yet, they have had to show so much grace under fire and endure the countless insults, and insidious attacks over the years.  Most of the media talk comes from the left. It is the ‘wanted’ attention on the Royal Family that makes mega bucks for the media people, not the other way round. No cost to us, and only 60p annually to the British.  But of course they are relevant and that’s why
they ‘re a stumbling block for the guttermost to the uppermost. Remember, it was back in the 1920’s the forces of Communism in the Stalin years said they couldn’t take over the world until they were rid of the Royal Family. Osama Bin Laden said several years ago, that the Queen was one of Islam’s severest enemies.  Australia is for a fair go and deserves something better?. Have we become spoilt for choice?

Sean says:

10:16am | 13/04/10

Those who do not know their history or prefer to live in a world of make believe, or those who have recently immigrated from Britain are the only ones forcing us to maintain a link with the royals. A monarchy has no place in a truly egalitarian society.

Australia egalitarian? Of course we are. Why do you think the poms hate us and make quick and broad statements about our nation so often - because they cannot easily identify class structure and that confuses them.

Australians who support the monarchy are simply self loathing. They are yet to learn the lessons of freedom in the new world and hang onto a past drenched in force-fed shame. Let go of mummy’s hand now, it will be oooook.