Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Should We American Republicans Celebrate The British Royal Wedding?

BTW, that is republican, not the party but our form of government.
The Mother Country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is all set for the big wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. The big event is next Friday.
My question is a simple one but a bit of a complex answer on my part.
For the liberal, this is n u a n c e.
I do like the fact that the Mother Country is still a monarchy. They have kept a tradition that has long seen it glory days. And there is a certain fascination with it for many Americans.
I would not ever want to see the monarchy in this Great Land. That is why we fought a revolution over 230 years ago. And yet I find myself fascinated by the goings on in the U. K.
Pick up a "respectable" newspaper, like the Daily Telegraph or The Times of London, and there is a little section called "Court and Social" which tells of the goings on with the immediate Royal Family and some far flung. No, it is not a gossip column. More of a calendar and social notebook.
Any how, I just find it something good that the U. K. has not succembed to those that want to change it to a republic. Although the results would be better than what happened in France or Germany, something would just be missing.
What I think is good about this match is that William and Miss Middleton seem to be normal people. After all, Miss Middleton is until next Friday a commoner. That is what makes this royal wedding something different.
Now I think that when a man and woman meet, date and marry it is always a time for celebration.
For me, that should be the point of this celebration writ large.
And for those that think the royal family are just a bunch of slobs at the government trough, let us look at the fact that they provide jobs and prestige for the people of the realm.
Sure, it is big government as the employees work for the government. But by and large, these are not burrecrats affecting the day to day lives of the citizens. But if there is no monarchy, what happens to all the people who work for the royals?
But back to the wedding.
It is going to be an economic boom for the people of the realm.
People from all over are desending on London hoping for a glimpse of the royal couple. And yeah, their gonna buy all the souvenirs and stuff like that. And in this economy, the people of the U. K. can use all the help that they can get.
So, I celebrate this blessed event. I am glad for William and Kate. And yeah, it is kind of too much for most Americans. But that is what makes it so unique. And something I would not want to see here in the United States.

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