DUers know I hate all royals everywhere but I'll give Britain's Elizabeth a thank you for one thing

[malaise]

I think her being there for so long helped women in all spheres everywhere. I’d love to see data on this.
Now it’s time to abolish the monarchy.

[pwb]

1. If the people love the Royals so much why would they want to abolish the Monarchy?

It is a Monarchy within a democratic process. If it was a Monarchy over a political process like Putin or Un yeah shut it down. This seems a bit different to me. JMO.

[empedocles]

2. The Queen begets more unity/loyalty than anything else I've seen.

In these divisive times, that seems to have real appeal.

[malaise]

4. I think the myths about the royal family facilitated and facilitates that

So much of it is a royal fairy tale, but their institutions are amazing at perpetuating the fawning of their royals and a repainting of their wicked and evil history.

[empedocles]

6. So much of history iswrong or bad. From Columbus through July 4th, bad character traits of 'heroes'.

Yes, I agree much is myth.

However, I also, agree with Obama, on 'cancel culture' being dangerous'.

"President Obama Says It’s Time To ‘Get Over’ Cancel Culture

https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/10/...
Published: Oct 30, 2019
Author: Evan Ger…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins

'President Obama forcefully spoke out against “cancel culture” at the Obama Foundation Summit, reminding the audience that people are complex and harsh judgment is all too easy.''

So information, and much information is flawed, or will be, - and is still useful, with precaustions, [imo]

[moondust]

3. Long-term civilizing influence.

Quite civil and empathetic without much political interference.

How many Murcans would stand in line for up to 24 hours to "pay their respects" to anyone? I mean without anybody getting shot?

RIP Queen.

[Sky Jewels]

12. "Civilizing influence" in the UK ...

but the flip side is brutal colonial-imperialist exploitation of resources and oppression/murder of untold faceless "subjects" around the world.

The opulence and pageantry came at a steep price for millions of mostly brown people under the empire's boot.

I get that the Queen was born into this strange system and had the monarchy thrust upon her at an early age, and that she seemed like a decent person for the most part, and that millions loved her.

But I think it's important to not whitewash the very steep price that has been paid for this oh-so-civilized display of wealth and power.

[moondust]

13. I only refer to this queen.

My understanding is that she has personally been responsible for little or none of the exploitation and oppression. Rather more of a transitional/reparative figure which was badly needed.

I don't know how Charles will turn out but I would guess William and Kate will eventually continue their grandma's civil legacy if the monarchy lasts that long.

[malaise]

14. +1,000

The truth

[BuddhaGirl]

20. +1

Exactly

[2naSalit]

5. She did that...

And I think that's what I admired about her even though it was via bloodlines and all. When I was young there were very few prospects for a girl of my socio-economic class and skin tone so the idea that there really was a queen of England and not a king was noticed by me. But I also saw Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi lead their countries while I was young too.

I did not care for English politics early on and have not had a favorable view of them over all. I grew up and went to school, for the majority of it, in former colonial states of the US. I received more education about England, Europe and Asia than I did about my own country's history after the civil war. I heard way too much about the fucking pilgrims and how they got along with the indigenous folks they destroyed and continue to do so to this day. And not enough about the US after the Louisiana Purchase. I guess the rest was covered in High school, which I did not attend. At least I learned to read and comprehend, the basics well enough to get me into college 25 years later. Now I'm out west in "Indian Country" and it is exactly the same only different. The animosity toward the Indians out here is appalling, I recognized it right away, it's what I experienced in the part of the country where I was mistreated while growing up.

But I digress.

It is a long lived institution in the US and it needs to die. Yet the monarchy of the UK lives on another day, insignificant as it now is. If anything, they have shown us what pomp is all about and what ultimate pomp and circumstance looks like no matter what atrocities the individual members do. And a warning to the rest of us that such frivolity is going to have to become a luxury of the past if we are going to survive on this planet as a species.

[malaise]

7. What a thoughtful post

Last edited Sun Sep 18, 2022, 04:18 PM - Edit history (3)

Remember though Elizabeth became queen in the 1950s and Golda and Indira were in the 1960s .

We have more colonial and queen baggage here than the carousels of a hub airport.

[2naSalit]

8. Yes you do...

The islands had an especially horrid history regarding Europeans!

But, due to my early education, I get it. Out here, people have no idea that there are French speaking people in New England and they can't imagine why. Small sample of what I see as a lack of proper education but that's another conversation.

[planetc]

9. I think the Queen may have finished her life as a feminist.

This would be extremely hard to prove, because she wasn't allowed to take public political positions on anything. But I do remember that she had a luncheon, several years ago, to bring together six or seven young women of great achievement. I think Stella McCartney was one of them. Maybe J.K. Rowling? In the UK, she had a number of women to choose from. Was she providing a networking opportunity for them? Did she just want to get acquainted with them?

Meanwhile, here in America, the lights in Puerto Rico have just gone out again, and Hillary Clinton was elected but not inaugurated. I have also been reflecting on the extreme longevity of colonialism. We like to think that it's illegal to enslave people now, but surely the basic pattern of capitalism is astonishingly similar to colonialism. The many shall flip the burgers, make the lattes, mine the coal, for the greater glory of the owners, who are allowed to make out like highway robbers. Capitalism is all completely legal, but malign in its results. In short, there's work for all of us to do, making capitalism obey us, rooting out racism, sexism, xenophobia, and provincialism of all kinds. I suspect that as her life went on, we would have found a lot of common ground to stand on with the Queen, if she'd been allowed to speak her mind.

[Kingofalldems]

10. With all that said.

This has been the longest funeral in history.

[malaise]

11. Not by a distance although it may well be the longest in recent times

More than a few tribal monarchs in Africa had ceremonies that went on for ages

[Treefrog]

15. She was the epitome of soft power.

Three female prime ministers elected under her reign.

We here in the US still haven't elected a female president.

How about your country? How are females represented? Do tell.

I respect and admire her. If you've have watched ANY of the footage interviewing the thousands of people in the queue, you would know that there are people of many races, colors, nationalities, religions all there to pay their respects to this woman of history. All speak highly of her. All mourn her.

No one on the world stage can match her for adherence to duty, service to country, and the ability to never put a foot wrong.

She will live forever in history as a great woman, a great queen, and nothing the haters say can ever change that.

Don't worry, it will all be over after tomorrow, ok?

[malaise]

16. We had a female Prime Minister -Portia Simpson-Miller

from 2006-2007 and again from 2012-2016.
Guyana had a female President - a fascinating story.

Janet Rosenberg Jagan OE was a U.S.-born Guyanese politician who served as the President of Guyana, serving from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She was the first female President of Guyana. She previously served as the first female Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 1997.

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/jagan-janet

Here’s a good link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elected_and_appointed_female_heads_of_state_and_government

[Treefrog]

18. Good to know.

At least you'll not have to hear about the queen after tomorrow.

No matter your opinion of her, millions respect and admire her. From just about every country on earth.

Best to stay off the news tomorrow morning until late afternoon. Do you have hobbies?

[KentuckyWoman]

17. I do not hate royals.

Born into celebrity gives them a microphone. I hate when they waste it.
So few do anything with it.

[ripcord]

19. She always impressed me as the first Royal ever to enlist in the regular Amry

She was a mechanic during WW2.