I am so tired of the negative news coverage of the coronation of Charles III.
A waist of public money? No. Not only would much of the
money be spent anyway on things like the military and the police, but without
it, hundreds of millions of pounds would not be going into the public coffers.
It is colonial reminder: Maybe, but it is also a new day under a new and enlightened monarch who has dedicated his life to racial tolerance, liveable cities, sustainable agriculture, the environment and climate concern, inner city youth and much more. Without British colonialism, which was marshalled by a quasi-democratic government of the 19th century, those who object could well have been exposed to far worse colonizers; slavery would likely have lingered longer than under British rule - as it did in an independent USA - and the complainers would not be situated where they are, or be as well off.
And were
people taken from better situations. Many yes. But the pre-colonial era in these continents were not the ideal many would try to paint. There is evidence that there
were brutal tribal wars in Africa and North America, and even evidence of forms
of slavery there long before colonization. Slavery was not created by the
colonizers. It had existed in all societies and sadly, still does in some form in some
societies today.
Monarchy is anti-democratic. Who says? It’s not at all.
Constitutional Monarchy is one of the most stable forms of democracy and one of
the protections it has. Look to the USA and other republics. So many have descended
into a dreadful form of authoritarianism, tribalism and fascism.
We should certainly learn from and acknowledge the mistakes of past generations, and from the ones we continue to make. But, stop whining. Stop clinging onto the misery of our ancestors as if it is necessary a shackle on you. The ancestors of the “privileged white settler descendants” in Canada and other countries were exposed to a form of “slavery” too. Call it feudalism, call it classism, call it what you will. It is why so many came to faraway lands and suffered incredible hardships to build a new life.
And we are glad to be there. The whiners should be too.
