Mick Hall with a piece lambasting the British ruling class, the monarchy and the honours system.  Mick Hall is a veteran Marxist activist who blogs at Organized Rage.  
Its time the United Kingdom became a Republic, the Commonwealth of the British Isles, with the remnants of feudalism and the right of Kings consigned to the dungheap from which they first emerged.
Betsy's son, friend of dictators and fornicators
A recent Guardian editorial (The Guardian view on honours systems: of questionable service) highlighted how 'liberal' progressives often deceive themselves when it comes to the British ruling classes, or as the paper prefers to call them erroneously the establishment. I say erroneously as the word implies they are a small group of people huddled together pulling the levers in the best interest of the ship of state. Whereas in realty they are a class which dominates and poisons much of public life in the UK and in the process enriches itself at the expense of the majority.

The editorial claimed the UK is a constitutional monarchy, what ever that may mean, although I suppose the paper is trying to imply its the royal family on bicycles giving their subjects a friendly wave as they peddle by on their endless round of 'duties.'

The leader writers understand full well that is rubbish, even if we leave aside the limos, palaces, holidays, and 'special class travel', not least because the UK has no written constitution as the ruling classes have always opposed one and continue to do so right up to this day. What passes for one and is accepted as fact on the Guardian's editoral floor, was in reality cobbled together over centuries within the minds of the ruling classes to meet their every need. (It's hardly surprising they refuse to commit it to paper as it would expose them as the deceitful scoundrels they undoubtedly are.
 
They sit in the second parliamentary chamber unelected and give their allegiance to an unelected head of state and her increasingly ridiculous family. Their wealth, power, privileges and class prejudices allow this class to dominate the core professions such as the military, academia, the church, judiciary, finance and banking, the mainstream media and politics. Thus it's hardly surprising they also control the state apparatus, especially its blunt instruments the military, secret state and judiciary.

Until the nation faces this fact we will never be able to tackle the injustices and inequalities which exist today, we will simply tinker around the edges and stamp our feet, whilst at the core for the ruling classes it's business as usual.

To truthfully claim the UK is a constitutional monarchy we must first have a written constitution. Once written, we the citizenry would have to cease being subjects and decide whether we wish to continue with an unelected head of state and second parliamentary chamber, both of which might have seemed fine and dandy in the 18th century for those who benefited from them, but not in the 21st for the majority.
 
Yet uniquely this gerrymandered setup still exists in the UK of today, which is an aberration of democracy as most free peoples understand it. It's time the United Kingdom became a Republic, the Commonwealth of the British Isles, with the remnants of feudalism and the right of Kings consigned to the dungheap from which they first emerged.

As too the honours system its unworthy of editorial comment, a shallow farce originally designed to replenish the ruling classes and deceive the masses, and as far as I can see little has changed down the centuries.
 
And all rational and progressive folk should dismiss it with the contempt it deserves and cry out loud, enough of this crap, begone, you have robbed us blind for long enough!

A Guardian Editorial on the Honours Systems: Enough of This Crap, Begone!

Mick Hall with a piece lambasting the British ruling class, the monarchy and the honours system.  Mick Hall is a veteran Marxist activist who blogs at Organized Rage.  
Its time the United Kingdom became a Republic, the Commonwealth of the British Isles, with the remnants of feudalism and the right of Kings consigned to the dungheap from which they first emerged.
Betsy's son, friend of dictators and fornicators
A recent Guardian editorial (The Guardian view on honours systems: of questionable service) highlighted how 'liberal' progressives often deceive themselves when it comes to the British ruling classes, or as the paper prefers to call them erroneously the establishment. I say erroneously as the word implies they are a small group of people huddled together pulling the levers in the best interest of the ship of state. Whereas in realty they are a class which dominates and poisons much of public life in the UK and in the process enriches itself at the expense of the majority.

The editorial claimed the UK is a constitutional monarchy, what ever that may mean, although I suppose the paper is trying to imply its the royal family on bicycles giving their subjects a friendly wave as they peddle by on their endless round of 'duties.'

The leader writers understand full well that is rubbish, even if we leave aside the limos, palaces, holidays, and 'special class travel', not least because the UK has no written constitution as the ruling classes have always opposed one and continue to do so right up to this day. What passes for one and is accepted as fact on the Guardian's editoral floor, was in reality cobbled together over centuries within the minds of the ruling classes to meet their every need. (It's hardly surprising they refuse to commit it to paper as it would expose them as the deceitful scoundrels they undoubtedly are.
 
They sit in the second parliamentary chamber unelected and give their allegiance to an unelected head of state and her increasingly ridiculous family. Their wealth, power, privileges and class prejudices allow this class to dominate the core professions such as the military, academia, the church, judiciary, finance and banking, the mainstream media and politics. Thus it's hardly surprising they also control the state apparatus, especially its blunt instruments the military, secret state and judiciary.

Until the nation faces this fact we will never be able to tackle the injustices and inequalities which exist today, we will simply tinker around the edges and stamp our feet, whilst at the core for the ruling classes it's business as usual.

To truthfully claim the UK is a constitutional monarchy we must first have a written constitution. Once written, we the citizenry would have to cease being subjects and decide whether we wish to continue with an unelected head of state and second parliamentary chamber, both of which might have seemed fine and dandy in the 18th century for those who benefited from them, but not in the 21st for the majority.
 
Yet uniquely this gerrymandered setup still exists in the UK of today, which is an aberration of democracy as most free peoples understand it. It's time the United Kingdom became a Republic, the Commonwealth of the British Isles, with the remnants of feudalism and the right of Kings consigned to the dungheap from which they first emerged.

As too the honours system its unworthy of editorial comment, a shallow farce originally designed to replenish the ruling classes and deceive the masses, and as far as I can see little has changed down the centuries.
 
And all rational and progressive folk should dismiss it with the contempt it deserves and cry out loud, enough of this crap, begone, you have robbed us blind for long enough!

12 comments:

  1. They're British.
    As long as they leave Ireland they can hand out honours to whomever they like.
    I don't care.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ozzy

    And oppress whom they like too, as long as its not in your back yard. Surely not?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sorry Mick.
    To be honest your piece is a nice antedote to the back slapping of the British over the Magna Carta which they have been indulging in this past week or so.
    My comment was really NOT meant on your article..Just as a piece of frustrated graffiti as to the hold that the British State still exerts over Ireland.
    And my comment is really aimed at the west Brits, neo Unionists and Free Staters. Who are winning the propaganda war.
    As to answer your question. Unfortunately I would turn a blind eye to the Brits abroad if they set Ireland free.
    Don't feel too good about saying that..but I would.
    Perhaps I would squirm out of it by saying the USA is the real danger. The real Imperialist these days.The Brits just go hand in glove with it.
    As such, they are Lenins' Useful Idiots. A notable exception of course for their Arm's dealing..which they do all by themselves.
    As for the Royal family.
    Maybe price Andrews antics will take them down..Or If Charlie takes to the throne they will lose their prestige.
    Who wants someone who wants to be a Tampon as their leader??

    ReplyDelete
  4. A good piece, well written and argued, but as with all these arguments the question remains: what will replace the status quo? I am no monarchist but I know that the Royal Family are well respected and admired throughout the world. From Spain to the US and the middle East to the Far East, they are well known and respected. Millions of tourists come to see London because of them and access given to business men because of them. What will replace them? Will it give us the same income and profile? Will it be corruptible? It is the same with the neo-liberal economic model. What will replace it? It is clearly broken. Picketty's book Capital was brilliant in its explanation of how the system inherently favours the 1%. For example, quantatative easing increased the price of shares by 3-4% annually at a time when salaried incomes were falling, so those with an income from stocks and shares saw income rising while the 99% suffered. We all recognise the system is designed to slowly fuck us but what is the alternative? Revolution doesn't put food on the table or keep hospitals open, and yesterday's revolutionaries inevitably become tomorrow's conservatives. Power corrupts, so what replaces this corrupt model? Another corrupt model? The vast majority are reasonably happy with their lot, these islands don't do revolution.

    ReplyDelete
  5. don't know if any of you have seen this film which gives some insights into one example of how " the wealth, power, privileges and class prejudices allow this class to dominate the core professions such as the military, academia, the church, judiciary, finance and banking, the mainstream media and politics".
    The documentary was (is?) banned in the UK.
    https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/unlawful-killing/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Peter,
    Why would you replace them? The Brits already have a government in place that could function quite easily as a republic. As for attracting buisness the tax haven that is the city of london will always attract buisness but who does that benefit? As for the income they bring, I don't know the figures but I wold imagine their outgoings dwarf it. It's only words anyway Ican't see the English ever getting rid of the royals I think the point of the article was people have to be realistic about their rulers opinion of them. For justice to prevail there has to be fundamantal changes, but, I don't hold my breath.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Will it be corruptible?

    Peter
    Could anything be more corrupt in a democracy than an unelected head of State, with the monarchs whole family feeding from the taxpayers purse.

    It is worse than that alone as when the Queen or her son secretly puts an armlock on a government minister they are corrupting the whole system, they understand this perfectly themselves, hence Charles refusal to make his letters public.

    A monarchy perpetuates the destructive class system we have in the UK and in certain situations it can be very worrying, for if a government were elected which worked against the ruling classes interest, say by dismissing the monarchy, the military and judiciary would be able truthfuly to work against it as they swear allegiance to the crown not the people as happens in most democracies. (So do MP's incidentally which is a mockery in itself as you end up with lefties crossing their fingers etc when they swear the oath of allegiance to betsy and co)

    You write the Royal Family are well respected and admired throughout the world. By whom I would ask? True some people for example in the US if asked, would say Betsy is a lovely woman, but if you follow up with a question would you like a monarchy they are aghast, one replied to me god no, we leave that to you Brits who live in the past.

    I would suggest the British monarchy is one of the most corrupt and debilitating institution in the world, for example throughout much of my working life the queen refused to pay tax. When the average subject was paying 50 % plus tax, these scroungers paid not a penny.

    What example did that set, where're living it today perhaps, when anyone with great wealth believes it is OK to dodge their tax responsibilities, whether individual or corporate?

    I could go on but you get my drift, I feel rather than respecting us for tolerating a monarchy with all their privileges, much of the world regards us as a joke.

    ozzy

    No need to apologize to me mate, i'm no stranger to frustrated graffiti myself ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Frankie
    yes, that's the documentary.
    AFAIK it is still banned in the UK.
    Happy to be corrected if this is not the case.
    It's not about Diana's death as such.
    It's really about how the inquest was conducted (which in turn raises unanswered questions about the fatal crash) and how the british establishment operates

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank Mick.
    Was having a bad day yesterday. Reading the comments in Irish Times 1916 article. I had to give up the Oirish Independent. The West Brit factor is strong there.Both above and below the byLine

    ReplyDelete
  10. Did anybody else see yesterday on the box, Priminister David caMORON wearing, President Barac Obama as a hat?. In all the years I have watched politicians, I have never seen such a display of sycophantism. I swear Obama turned red.

    ReplyDelete