Socialists out there: Another way to Look at the Royal Wedding

[dynasaw]

. . . .thousands of jobs it generated at a time the U.K. is experiencing the worse austerity ever.

Thousands of media folk
Thousands of Police people
Horse handlers
Assorted branches of the military
Caterers and food services
WIne industry
Travel industry
Dress makers and tailors
etc. etc.

Oh well, just trying to see things in a different light. :-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Those thoughts had occurred to me as well...

I'd say you're spot on!

[rurallib]

2. I don't care about the royals, but in Britain, they bring in tourist bucks

Doubt that they do anywhere else, maybe Japan to a much lesser degree.
But let's be honest, the royals are big business for Britain.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. They've been married a day now, when is People Magazine going to headline:

"Kate's Royal Heartbreak!"

[dynasaw]

4. I am beginning to think of the royals as another corporation

After all in the U.S. our "royals" i.e. celebs Americans worship (think adulation over Michael Jack, Angelina, etc). They aren't so much individuals as corporations with a retinue of paid staff. They sell themselves, the peasants lap it all up, but people get employed.

[wuushew]

5. no its a huge waste of money

Every single extra pound needs to be spent on green energy investment. Britain will be up shit creek when their fossil fuel resources are exhausted.

[Lars39]

8. It will boost their economy by millions every year for a decade or so.

They will more than make back the money spent on security, etc.

[Wilms]

6. I always consider those kinds of things about the uber-wealthy spending.

But I also consider things like:

Thousands of media folk...not covering pressing global issues.

Thousands of Police people...not fighting crime.

Caterers and food services...not feeding the hungry

:shrug:

[jwirr]

17. Since when do these groups do the things you suggest anyhow?

The media would have found some other unimportant item to talk about (and I don't know about you but I can handle a variety of news without loosing tract of the situation in the world), security forces are usually not investigative police forces and caterers/food services have never been a part of the fight against hunger unless you are thinking in terms of Second Harvest. They did distribute the left overs to the poor and homeless. The money would just have stayed in the bank instead of going to the jobs this show created.

[Wilms]

24. I admit my concern that wealth distribution is a leading cause of the worlds trouble.

The media would indeed find some "some other unimportant item to talk about", recent activity on DU firmly indicating.

No matter that "security forces are usually not investigative police forces and caterers/food services have never been a part of the fight against hunger" when the concentration of wealth is such a main contributor to our ills.

Part of the reason why the elite pack such wealth into their bank accounts is so that they can afford to participate in "high society" events. And where does that money come from? Generally off the labors of others.

The best I could do is "justify" such things, and frankly, I don't. There are other shows that create jobs. Just this week I attended a concert put on by students at a local high school. It was wonderful. And I'm glad that it was part of what the teachers were paid to help create.

[defendandprotect]

7. Evidently, it's one way the monarchy sells the monarchy to the British -- a money maker -- !!!

Travel info was this week would bring $50 million to Great Britain with

visitors re the wedding!!

Our bookstores here are full of Royal Wedding items -- mags and books!!

[jwirr]

19. We think the same way in America about things like the Boston

Marathon and other sports events. Celebrity sells. Probably one of the few things that is at the moment.

[defendandprotect]

30. There's a bit of a difference between "celebrity" and ROYALS/MONARCHY -- !!

[bahrbearian]

9. Who payed for it?

[Zorra]

20. here

http://www.economicvoice.com/britain-wakes-up-to-post-royal-wedding-blues/50019467#axzz1L2QNtzBR

[former9thward]

10. No jobs were created for government employees.

Police and military would be paid whether they were doing the wedding or not. The rest of those jobs are private and capitalist. Don't know what socialists has to do with it.

[Morning Dew]

11. +1

[leftstreet]

25. +1

[Snoutport]

12. There was a big surge of power useage during the wedding...tv's all over the world tuning in...that

brought the power companies some money at least. (like they need it...but, they have to pay that PGE CEO his $34 million somehow!)

[Generic Other]

13. The workers do a pageant on Mayday

It's a different celebration, and maybe it is good to contrast the two very clearly. Gives people a better sense of the real gap between the two worlds.

Did they break out ale for the poor or offer some alms? Seems the least they could have done. Noblesse oblige.

[JVS]

14. At a time when social programs are being cut by austerity measures, the British public....

just paid for a huge event for some rich people. It sucks.

[xchrom]

15. Britain is - even w/ austerity - a 'socialized' country w/ a symbolic monarchy. Nt

[jwirr]

16. Yes, jobs, jobs, jobs, And all the money out of the families of the

richest people in England including the Royal family. I also see the boost in spirits that was visible along the streets.

[CTyankee]

21. I would have liked to see the Royal family and the Middleton's share more of

the security costs, which I understand was borne by the government. I know it's the duty of the gov. to protect its people but at least they could have coughed up SOME of it to help defray costs to the taxpayer.

[jwirr]

22. Yes, that would have been nice and it would have helped the economy

even more. Do the rich in England get by without paying taxes the way they do here in the USA?

[CTyankee]

23. I have no idea...

[Zorra]

18. Estimates are that the wedding cost England at bare minimum $1.67 billion.

And now the nation wakes up with a sore head and depleted bank balance as the estimated economic cost to the nation of the national holiday ranges anywhere from just under £1 billion to £29 billion.

Read more: http://www.economicvoice.com/britain-wakes-up-to-post-royal-wedding-blues/50019467#ixzz1L2QVMBdQ

They could have had a simple wedding and just given the money away, and not used up all the resources.

(29 billion pounds, the maximum estimate, is 48.43 billion U.S. dollars)

[Capitalocracy]

26. ... for one day. nt

[pa28]

27. It might be a preview of our economic future.

Not long ago I read a piece by an NYU professor who suggested that most job growth in the coming decades will be centered around providing skilled work and artisanal services to the wealthy.

Maybe more like feudalism than socialism.

[david13]

28. It also helps generate good will and tourism far far beyond what

it costs. It's far far better than good advertising.
dc

[JanMichael]

29. Well from the "crumbs falling from the wedding cake" theory that is correct.

Still crumbs though.