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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
O'Reilly's Swipe at Royal Support
Just a short note -I could not stop myself- concerning last night's episode of "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel. In a story about the latest fiasco involving Sarah Ferguson Fox News (part of the Rupert Murdoch media empire) commentator Bill O'Reilly made an off-hand comment which suggested that loyalty to the British Royal Family is basically confined to a small core of English patriots. I agree with O'Reilly fairly often but this was simply ridiculous. First he stated that the Irish hate the Royal Family; which is probably overstated but not totally unfounded if one has in mind only the citizens of the Irish republic. However, though they may not consider themselves "Irish" the Unionists of Northern Ireland are among the most loyal subjects Her Majesty the Queen has. He also dismissed the Scots -also untrue as even the Scottish National Party (with whom The Mad Monarchist is not in sympathy) supports retaining Her Majesty as Queen of Scotland and there are of course loyal subjects of the Queen across the Commonwealth; certainly not as many as I would like, but present in considerable numbers. The British Royal Family may have its detractors (who must be opposed fiercely) but the Royal Family, I would wager, is more popular across the U.K. than probably any president or sitting government in any modern western republic -thank God.
I quick point: she is Queen of Scots, not Queen of Scotland. North of the border the monarch has always been king/queen of the people rather than the country, and so has a slightly different style to its English counterpart. As such Crown lands in Scotland have always been those which where already in possession of the royal family BEFORE they took the crown: the Bruce earldom of Carrick was not royal until Robert the Bruce; the Isle of Bute (now styled Duchy of Rothesay) came with Robert II and so on.
ReplyDeleteAs a Northern Irish Unionist myself - thank you. And I also heartily agree! Great post!
ReplyDeleteAppreciate it. I'm sure it matters that the guy is Bill *O'Reilly* and is an American Irish Catholic -thus he may think that 'his sort' is the only sort of Irishmen. I don't know if there was some political bias there, I would tend to doubt it (probably simple ignorance) as even the worst enemy of the Unionists, if they have any knowledge of Ireland at all, will know that they are, on the whole, staunchly loyal to Queen and Country.
ReplyDeleteI think its Typial American Ignorance. Americans tend to dramatise the events in cotnraxt of their own "Revolution from England" still undestand Her Majesty as "Queen of England", sdo not really think of Ulster at all, and tend to think anyoen who wants to break from England like the SNP must both represent all Scotland AND must hate the Queen.
ReplyDeleteI've run into Americans who were actually unaware that Canada was still under the "English" Monarchy.
This may just be O'Reilly falling for the Usual Americsn Ignorance. I've met Americans who do not know that Canada is still a Monarhcy, muchless undr ELizabeth. To many Americans, if you want to break from England, you muswamnt rid of the Monarhcy, and therefore want a Republic. THis is of coruse not true, but then, tis also not true that the existance of Scottish Nationalists such as the SNP means most Scotts want the Union DIssolved, either. Many Americans tend ot lump everyone into even Categories. To them, Ulster doesn't exist, its all just Ireland. Soem even think Ireland is today rfightign to get rid of English Rule. To them, Scotland is like Ireland and wants ot be Free. Freedom invariabley means goign Republic becuse thats what America did.
ReplyDeleteI don't thionk the Nuanced reality of the Uied Kingdom actually really registers with many Americans, so, I'd chalk this up to his blinding Ignroance.
I would agree and I have wondered if republicans in the UK, Canada, Australia etc (who are usually hard-core leftists who despise the US) know that their attacks on the monarchy make many Americans feel justified and even more self-assured that they were on the cutting-edge and everyone else is just starting to catch up to them. I imagine most would be infuriated by that.
ReplyDeleteAnd republicans in Australia shouldn't think for a moment that their "ideal" republic won't become a carbon copy of the American system, which is flawed and corrupt in so many ways... They don't understand that America is the only republic that Australians are familiar with (politics-wise), and if the Australian people were forced to choose a republican model, it will almost certainly be America.
ReplyDeleteAs an Australian Monarchist, we know that our politicians have already been pulling tricks on us in the republican debate. Including a bill of rights that would have actually given us less rights than we have now, giving the Prime Minister the ability to remove the President without reason or notice. This a President they claim will act with the same powers of the Governor-General.
ReplyDeleteSo it is clear that our politicians have always been after a political dictatorship preying on the ignorance of Australian Republicans to get what they want.
And do you know why they resort to tricks Adam? It's because when you compare a real republic with a real monarchy, the monarchy always comes off better. Unifying republics are an oxymoron, their "story" of republics as being more "enlightened" and "advanced" than monarchies a load of bunk, and its unfairness paling in comparison to the unfairness of saying "I am elected, therefore I am right" (which royally ignores those who voted for "the other guy").
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take a smart monarchist to run rings around the republicans, so they blather on and do it by stealth. Now if only Jai Martinkovits could go on about the monarchy as something other than a check and balance, then we could really end this debate once and for all.
One dostt have to be a Smart Repulican these days, the whole Culture is so permeated with Democracy beign Equated with Fredom and the idea that Monarhcy is a Relic of the Past we have outgrown its really an unchallenged assumption.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem I've faced is getting people to even listen. They ignroe the evidnece. They don't compare Real Republics to Real Monarhcies, they compare an Ideological Republic with a Bogy Man monarchy.
Well...I am practically the only monarchist in my family--and certainly the only young one!--and what you have all written resonates with me. It seems to be an up-hill battle...
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