I wish it were like musical chairs, and the first one to sit down when she abdicates gets to be the king. I would totally throw some elbows.
I wish it were like musical chairs, and the first one to sit down when she abdicates gets to be the king. I would totally throw some elbows.
I still can't fathom why Europeans haven't taken an "off with their heads" approach to monarchs and reappropriated their possessions to the nations.
I wonder what the inheritance taxes are in regard to the monarchies, I honestly don't know what they pay.
And of course it depends on what political power they actually have.
I've heard that the English royals at the least, lease/give their property rights to the government in return for a salary which is less than those lands actually produce, money wise, but not sure how that fits into things.
I'm not a big Royalty guy, but you can tell some american's really seem to miss the fact we lack some. Look at the Kennedy's as an example, especially when JFK Jr went down and they were all over it.
We could take away all their titles. But i think it would be a gross injustice to take everything from them just like it would be to take everything from the layman or Bill Gates.
It would prolly end up with Coca Cola buying the royal palace if it went into private hands.
---------- Post added 2013-01-29 at 12:15 AM ----------
And you lose one for showing a viking with horns.
Because Europeans whose countries are monarchies grew up with the idea that they have a king or a queen stuck in their head and they're used to it. By the time they grow up, from all of the social processes that happen, they essentially like their kings and queens as symbols of their nations. Personally, I don't get it either.
That being said, I wouldn't be particularly upset if my country was a kingdom either.
That seems like a rather bad reason to give them any political clout at all. What a odd thing, as an outsider, to see an anachronistic tradition kept around for the sake of some cash.
---------- Post added 2013-01-28 at 06:23 PM ----------
I'm not sure how high inheritance taxes would be a gross injustice.
Right, I can intellectually understand that it's been drilled into people's heads the same way that a loathing of monarchy has been drilled into mine. I just don't really get how it stays in place in a populace that stops and thinks about whether it's just for a couple minutes.
What political clout? The Queen meets and talks to the PMs occasionally but she only offers advice and they've all commented on how valuable her advice has been. Outside of that mostly her roles are as a diplomat which she does very effectively and ceremonial duties.
Inheritance tax on what exactly? Every single penny earned by the royal estates goes directly to government, you're going to tax money thats already paid to the government?I'm not sure how high inheritance taxes would be a gross injustice.