The Queen was the Grandmother to 20th Century Western Democracy, she was a cornerstone of modernity, a feminist trailblazer and the only functioning Matriarchy on the planet.
She fought the Nazis!
Her devotion to public service and duty were the values of an older Britain, and she saw them through with a tenacity that would make Piranhas feel shy.
Yes, yes, yes – figure head of a blood thirsty white Imperialist Coloniser, sure, but who isn’t these days?
People felt emotionally bonded to the Queen and her service became what the Royalty stood for.
I think King Charles III will be a very, very, very different kind of Monarch who will be violently shaped by the extreme circumstances Britain finds itself in.
Charlie was the first to gain tertiary education, he was into climate change and organics well before it was mainstream and he saw the damage Thatcher caused the social fabric of his Kingdom.
I think in Liz Truss, Britain has the most right wing free market Prime Minister since Thatcher.
Her free market ‘solutions’ will come at a time when the UK faces 20% inflation and an 80% jump in electricity and heating costs as Putin turns off the gas.
Truss wants to frack while Charlie wants to decarbonise.
The extreme social rupture Truss’s free market fanaticism will cause alongside her trashing of the environment as climate extremes become catastrophic will combine to force Charlie’s hand.
He will see his reign as no more than 20 years and will feel forced to go well beyond the Constitutional Monarchy restraints and heavily criticise the Prime Minister.
Those tensions inside Britain will be difficult enough for Charles, but in terms of the Commonwealth where arguments about colonial crimes and sins of the past dominate, my feeling is that the catastrophic weather events many of those countries are about face will eclipse any desire to pull away from the Commonwealth, especially if Charles is championing more resources for climate adaptation.
Charles III will be a Disrupter at a time his Kingdom disintegrates socially.
In terms of NZs constitutional arrangement and the possibility of us becoming a Republic. The current hate and shit fest the issue of co-governance has plunged into shows we are utterly incapable as a culture and society to maturely discuss any issue as fraught as a constitutional debate.
Māori see a personal connection to the Royal Family, removing the Royal Family as our Head of State would be seen as a way of removing the personal obligation to fulfil the promise of the Treaty.
You can imagine how that will go down, and of course all those pakeha who want to dilute Māori political representation as it is would love to exploit the process and cut them out of any co-governance altogether.
We simply aren’t intellectually capable enough to have a discussion about becoming a Republic because we haven’t even settled basic co-operation between the Indigenous peoples of this country and the settlers who robbed them blind.
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If AO/NZ becomes a ‘republic’, particularly in these days and times, it’s this creepy freak show who’ll be in here first, and then we’ll all be fucked. Think of thousands of hair tugging jonky’s slithering over our AO/NZ?
You must watch this, but not before bed time.
Youtube.
‘Inside Job’
Narrated by Matt Damon.
https://youtu.be/T2IaJwkqgPk
“Ferguson, [The director ] who began researching in 2008, says the film is about “the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption”. In five parts, the film explores how changes in the policy, environment and banking practices helped create the financial crisis.”
I rather suspect that Charlie will exert more energy promoting quack cures and homeopathy in the NHS than much else.
Do we really want to go down the constitution road like USA where they treat theirs like an immutable, almost holy document, despite its obvious flaws and harmful anachronisms. i suppose the debate must be had.
And if there ever a time for NZ to become a Republic, its now.
It’ll solve the co-governance bs by introducing an upper house and also a written constitution.
What do we gain by becoming a republic, that we don’t already have?
You do realise that “green” energy solutions are more expensive than fossil fuels, right? So when energy inflation is spiralling out of control you want to promote the cheapest fuel options. This blog entry is insanely contradictory – you lament energy inflation and then waffle on about climate change. Which is more pressing?
Oh dear, our resident climate change denier offers us yet another PRATT*.
“You do realise that “green” energy solutions are more expensive than fossil fuels, right?”
The bill for dealing with the damage of climate change caused by continuing with fossil fuel dwarfs any setup costs involved in moving toward a green economy.
Your false equivalence is mind-blowingly short-sighted.
* Point Refuted A Thousand Times
There is to me always an assumption that we cannot come up with alternative energy sources.We will but not next week which seems to be the flavour of the climate doomsayer mob.
Stop the panic,have faith solutions are on the horizon.
…lets not forget ongoing costs. Its barely half an argument without this.
How much do you pay for the sunshine & wind at your place? With those inputs available for free (although not always reliable) & the decreasing cost of solar panels & wind generation combined with an almost universal acceptance that renewables are cheaper already it appears that you have been under your rock for too long & missed the progress of technology.
Long live the King.
Bout time someone with balls made threats against prime ministers stick.
I am a Republican through and through, but would not like to see a hasty move to us becoming the IRA-Independent Republic of Aotearoa–precisely because of the “Māori Question”.
With changed constitutional arrangements, references to the Crown could be disappeared much to the delight of all racists, Natzos and ACT, and the various other nutters like Sovereign on the political landscape at the moment. The NZ Govt. did not brutally colonise the country in the 19th century, that was the Redcoats marching under their butchers apron flag, along with grasping settlers and commercial interests.
So if the body that generated Tiriti grievances and laid waste to the Māori economy and culture is no longer around–whose representatives do Māori negotiate with as they try to get a better deal?
If that can be dealt with satisfactorily then Republic here we come!–if there is a substantial majority of NZers in favour–it is not the type of issue that can be subject to a 50% plus one vote being sufficient, as in the Cannabis Referendum.
Hopefully Charles being King, signals more environmental energy in the UK and better farming practises.
Populations need to have some ability to survive if commodities are disrupted, through war, pandemic, climate change or what have you.
All are happening now.
Governments need to protect people and move away from neoliberal, globalism, it does not work out very well, as seen by 1st world countries not being able to afford power anymore.
Weirdly the answer is not to give the people more, but the power companies ripping everyone off!
De-centalising, solar power, food allotments and roof water, should now be a necessary part of future planning where disasters and disruption can strike and working people can’t afford to buy the essentials like water, food and power.
I like the idea of NZ becoming a republic, however… somehow old Government House won’t do. We will need new Presidential Palaces in Wellington, Auckland & Christchurch. Then there will be Presidential Retreat at Queenstown, the Fishing Lodge at Taupo & the Presidential County house, complete with vineyard on Waiheke Island. Not to mention the Summer Palace at Waitangi, No doubt all horribly designed, like Te Papa. All free to use by the political hangers on, senior civil servants and Judges.
I doubt we won’t see much change out of 20 or 30 billion.
None of this will improve the live of us.
“we are utterly incapable as a culture and society to maturely discuss any issue as fraught as a constitutional debate.”
Chile has just gone through this process, the newly formulated constitution was soundly beaten, rejected by the people. The inclusion of race based requirements in that proposal was one of it’s serious shortcomings in the eyes of the people. Very sensible of them.
At least they had a say; any genuine discussion here, where it questions the co-governance re-write of our constitutional basis has been ignored, and the consultation process itself some sort of a sick joke. The excellent idea of having a proper discussion, drawing up a workable proposal and then putting it to the people is being championed by only one of the parties in parliament – ACT. The main reason I’m voting for them.
Chile is a long, narrow, & deeply divided country with some very conservative and authoritarian types still wielding much influence in the provincial areas especially.
–Whites
–Spanish descendants
–Indigenous
is the pecking order in most of Latin America, apart from Bolivia they would generally laugh at the concept of Treatys and negotiating redress for colonial injustices with indigenous peoples, no, genocide is more the order of the day still from Patagonia to Guatemala.
Nice to see ACT finds the dregs of the Chilean Dictatorship and a large capitalist spend to skew the Constitution vote a positive thing!
I’m reasonably familiar with the geography and people of Chile thanks Tiger. The problem was in instantiating ethnic separatism (and other binding but often contradictory and unworkable prescriptions) into the constitution; it therefore lacks the flexibility to deal with real world problems and changes through the years and actually created conflicting rights between groups. Particular injustices are best dealt with in a case by case basis with the constitution forming an overarching guideline only. The Chilean people wisely chose to reject the proposed constitution.
In our case, it looks as though the co-governance proposals are in breach of both our own civil rights legislation and the most fundamental article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – UDHR commits nations to recognize all humans as being “born free and equal in dignity and rights” regardless of “nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status”. A legal challenge is being prepared I believe so hopefully we can see the end of this mad idea.
Coincidentally, after my reply I came across an essay just out from Chris Trotter. It’s very good, thoughtful and well worth a read Tiger.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/09/imagining-away-opposition.html
“New Zealand is in the middle of a national korero about co-governance and the minister in the middle of that conversation is Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson.” No New Zealand isn’t in such a conversation because only a certain portion of have been allowed to know what’s within the conversation….
I think NZ is terribly placed to become a republic currently. We would need a good five years of education, referenda, genuine consultation to get to this place. We simply dont have the shared understandings or strength of leadership (not just politicos but public services) to enact it. To do so, would be dangerously ill conceived.
Interesting article and comments that gives me much food for thought.
Thanks.
Chuck’s not a bad guy. Good taste in architecture, and he has at times expressed a disdain for the money power. It’s unlikely that he will express it through his powers, unfortunately, but he’ll be no worse than the QEII.
Charles lll will reign in exactly the same way as his mother. Listen to his first speech. It’s the one where he lists all the extra titles William will get then basically tells Harry and Meghan to fuck off back to USA.(I am sure I saw this exact thing in Blackadder l)
He stated very clearly that he will no longer be able to be involved the all of the advocacy and practical issues he was as prince. He will open things, cut ribbons, reveal placques, visit places and greet dignitaries and commoners with the same words that his mother did. Although it would be interesting to hear his private audiences with the PM.
Sorry about that lack of title for you PeterH – guess there’ll be no Peter the Great in NZ or anywhere for a generation? And you do understand that the convention is that he won’t rule the UK regally don’t you. King Charles as a modern monarch, has limited powers and will no doubt try to reign, I mean rein in, the ‘orrible Commons and Truss as his mother did with the roofer’s daughter (You want the ‘roof, you can’t handle the roof!) and the green room, no doubt decorated in a supposed restful colour, will explode with platitudes and vituperation as usual
Great post Martyn. Great image of King Charles also. There is a directness in his gaze that speaks of the man and commitment to his role that says more than a thousand words from some journo firing steam-heated words through the grains of fact that he/she has gathered, and delivering either a vinegary or saccharine brew. (Depending on what line their Daily Rag is taking.)
And Liz Truss – the Conservatives go on their destructive way as determined as Hitler in his infamous objectives, though different of curse, (sorry Freudian slip, meant course), unrecognisable at first, distracting the populace – with a war perhaps? What can he do to
restore some sanity ao that the world can make environmental moves to qmeliorate the known results of the past century. He may be too late to do much in the face of vicious determined ignorance by the wealthy and those desiring powerful positions, or then be the man for the moment, sharpened by his past aware of the present realities and future scenarios with the strength needed to face them.
It may be this sort of story. I read in Posh Boys about the Etonites et al, how they are encouraged to gather information about the world that they will be preying on, or playing with, for pleasure or profit when they are not too much older. So a group travelled to Russia during a period of quiet hostility? I also understand that Russian money is held in big quids in UK bank branches. The Brits knew that the communist Russians lacked the readies for international trade that they needed to maintain their economy and state. So they gave them a safe haven as the Swiss are supposed to have done over the decades for ‘sensitive’ money. It could be embarrassing for the Russian people to hear that their dosh was held and administered by capitalists. We ordinary people are generally unaware of the way that the capitalist economy is a controlled shop, like the Freemasons, but exponentially I think. The west moving weapons closer to Russian borders, would make Putin et al feel doubly vulnerable. He may have lost his temper, at the idea that promises come with a time countdown.
Perhaps along the line of these words:
Then I’m laying out my winter clothes
And wishing I was gone
Going home
Where the New York City winters
Aren’t bleeding me
Leading me
Going home…
In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
Or cut him ’til he cried out
In his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”
But the fighter still remains…
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/paulsimon/theboxer.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70CTdmhCUTg
Liz Truss and Ukraine: Sept.7 William Gittins
https://en.as.com/latest_news/russia-is-infuriated-with-liz-truss-the-uks-new-prime-minister-what-does-ukraine-think-about-her-n/
The United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, enters Downing Street at a time when the country is struggling on a number of fronts. The cost-of-living crisis; rampant inflation; and ailing national health service are major concerns, but Truss found time on her first day in office to contact Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On Tuesday evening she spoke with Zelenskyy to “reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support for Ukraine’s freedom and democracy,” according to a government statement.
The West cancelled Russia – energy issues and what not are therefore of our own making. Otherwise, the discussion that matters, in this age of uncertainty and disruption, is what is government doing (or not doing) to usher in certainty and security for we the people!
Could someone explain why as a republic we would need a head of state/president? or an upper and lower
house? (A House of Lords sounds stupid to me) and the American system of congress and senate seems cumbersome and not reflective of what people vote for. We certainly don’t want a Trump figure who thinks they have feudal kingly powers which usurp the decisions of a democratically elected government.
Surely as we do currently we vote for MPs and the party or parties with the most seats forms a government and appoints a prime minister. Why do we need more? Am I missing something important here?
Become a Republic, cancel all titles. The caste system does not belong in NZ. No more Sir John BS
He is Keen to take on the role even at his age, knows how and when to put boundaries in place, has studied the job since he was a child, has a tertiary education and vast knowledge on a wide range of topics, has refined tastes, has served Great Britain and the Commonwealth for decades as Prince of Wales, and has a living wife and the support of an immediate family and his extended family behind him.
The support of a loving wife behind him
Mon-archs and the people are often united against elites. I like both the Queen and Charles on that basis.
Charles has the right to be informed and to give advice and that is about it.
He will speak to parliament the words written by the Liz Truss government.
Our new bank notes will be interesting ….. goodby queen Elizabeth
Hello a tampon with big ears and a gin nose
Co-governance is a half step designed to maintain the unitary state and the sepremacy of parliament. If the sovereignty of the Crown is derived from the sovereignty of the people governed, then the King is technically a paramount chief, not a monarch as per Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The only way to truly uphold Te Tiriti is the decentralisation of the government into a confederacy, by reinstating the provincial parliaments and creating a binding, comprehensive constitutional framework intended to uphold the protection of sovereign autonomy of all individuals and all hapu. The third article effectively requires to reestablishment of the provinces, or allowing existing councils to be sovereingn, to maintain the principle of governance equality. Co-governance exists because a lot of hapu land is stolen, so allowing the hapu/Iwi to be its own federal territory is incredibly difficult, wherein co-governance is required as the land was not offically and legally purchased as per the requirements of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Any land that is outright owned by Hapu/Iwi should hold constitutional sovereign autonomy within the confederated nation state.
But I can only dream…
I highly doubt that Charles will “heavily criticise the Prime Minister” in any sort of public fashion. That is simply not his role, and he knows it. To quote him, he is not that stupid.
All your concerns are why we have elections. That is how criticism plays out in a constitutional monarchy. The UK has their election in two years. Liz Truss presumably wants to win it. So I don’t think she is going to go hell for leather with deeply unpopular policies.
In any event, she is up against it. It will be dam difficult for the Conservatives to win in 2025; not after 15 years of Conservative government. Kier Starmer looks like a PM in waiting, so she is going to really and absolutely best him over the coming months to have any chance. She will need the economy to be really humming to have any chance at all.
Completely agree with that comment and I do think that Keir Starmer is going to be a popular leader.
chuck mk3 won’t change anything he’s just the new CEO of ‘the firm’ as the royals refer to themselves