Princely
programme
Accurate
is the Gary Younge´s article about Harry and Meghan´s wedding, or
rather, about monarchy.
I
would have liked to know nothing about that wedding too, but that´s
imposible because monarchy is that, all the world, all plebeians have to know what they are interested that we know in and they make
us to believe we `take part´in the historic event.
<<I
wish it was private. Then they could have their seclusion and I
could ignore it. But then what would the point of that be? “To be
invisible,” wrote the 19th-century constitutionalist Walter
Bagehot, “is to be forgotten… To be a symbol, and an effective
symbol, you must be vividly and often seen.”>>
A
monarchy is per se visible
and must have a controlled introduction,a restrained rapprochement:
they seels to forge a close relationship with the audience.
It must show close to the common people and must accentuate a
distance at the same time.
Not
long time ago I read in a Portuguese newspaper (professor Sanjay
Subrahmanyan,
Diário de Notícias, 29 abril 2018, see page 44) something that, at
first, I didn´t understand, but a short while later did:
<<Hoje
em día a casta é muito importante porque temos sistemas para
garantir empregos com base na casta. Quando isso existe, a pessoa
tem interesse de pertencer a uma casta.>>
Professor
Subrahmanyan spoke about India and the Indian caste system, so I
thought -and I think- the same happens in a monarchy with the social
class. Kings and queens are up there and any Tom, Dick or Harry (not
our Harry!) see them from below; from his/her natural habitat marked
by birth, and the promotion and moving in order to be nearer to
his/her idols. A kind of magic is made which fascinates every
plebeiansand inciting them to imitate rules and social customs like
people who are higher up.
Really,
monarchy is a motivation so that any subject decides to excel
himself/herself.
You
have realized I -like our journalist- am a moderate Republican- there
are things that piss me off more than a king or queen, but if we
speak about the matter, I am unable of understanding men bowing his
nape or women kneeling down before a person who is exactly like you.
And what do you tell meabout that anachronic idea of thinking that
Lord was who choses the royalty? God, a pleasant guy with whom I
stopped having a relationship since my times of the Borstal.
Gary
is right.
<<The
purpose of these highly scripted and tightly choreographed weddings
is twofold: to renew the monarchy’s sense of legitimacy and to
establish its relevance.>>
For
this I, as an adult and non-believer, do not need `this propaganda
through tasty pastry´ like they did with Gary´s children.
From
my Borstal.
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