Posted by Damian
on 28/10/2009, 17:09:21, in reply to "Re: Canadian's apathetic about upcoming POW visit"
195.93.21.99
The long term future of the monarchy in places like Canada,Australia and New Zealand is just unsustainable.it is a relic of a by-gone imperial era when all those countries were part of the former British Empire.That era is long gone and the monarchical ties are just becoming more and more anachronistic and increasingly perceived to be so by citizens of those countries.If I were a Canadian,I too would be calling for the swift replacement of the monarchy with a Canadian head of state.
The plain fact is that this particular monarchy is British and it is only of real relevance to Britain and the British people.Pretending that it has the same relevance for other countries doesn't work anymore.Canadians and Australians are increasingly convinced that an absentee head of state located in a country thousands of miles away
has become an absurd political anachronism.They want their own political system,however flawed, to be at least entirely their own.
In my view,it would be a good thing for everybody concerned if the British monarchy simply returned to being just that...a British monarchy.Then we could effect necessary reforms to the institution without the handicap of having to consult and obtain the sanction of these other countries (which is the excuse always used to delay making reforms) while Canada,Australia,New Zealand et al can get on with being themselves and forging their own identities.
Putting an end to the anachronistic connection with our monarchy should not necessarily result in the lessening of any bonds of friendship and shared history that we have with each other.On the contrary,it may serve to actually strengthen such ties by bringing them up to date and focussing on the future.
After all,the break with the monarchy that occurred in 1776 does not seem to have reduced the interest in it that many Americans on here and elsewhere seem to show! 