Oh, well, if it makes financial sense to elevate one human being to an unreasonably high status for life, based upon antiquated concepts of Nobility and Superior-ness, well then!
It makes it all better now.
There are many things wrong with Monarchy. Finances is only one of them.
I'm Belgian, so we have a monarchy as well, and let me tell you one thing, I by far prefer living in a constitutional monarchy over living in a republic.
Our King and his family don't have any real power, let's get that out of the way first. But what he does add, is neutrality. Our monarch is constitutionally restricted from showing political preferences. He can have them, he's just not allowed to show or talk about them. As such, in any situation where he represents the country, he represents the entire country, and not just one political side. And in a country like Belgium that barely hangs together based on compromise and dozens of political parties, someone who is above the Wallonie vs Flandres division, and doesn't represent one specific ideology is essential to keep the country together.
It's not just that a king is cheaper than a president (no matter how much people still complain about any money given to to the royal family), it's that they give us a symbol of Belgium as a whole, of continuity, rather than a broken line.
Prime ministers get replaced every few years, but the monarch doesn't. And considering the current situation, I can be sure that it'll take at least twenty more years (at the very least, probably we can add a few more decades to that) before the current king hands over his position to his eldest daughter. (seeing as how she's only 14 at the moment)
You missed the part where the king doesn't have any power. At most he arbitrates during the formation of the government. He's a symbol, not a ruler. That kind of power is never laid in the hands of one person.
And partly because of that, we are not a two party state. We have over five major parties, several of whom have to work together to form a government, preventing the country from falling in the hands of extremists. No one party ever rules on its own.
As such even a vote for a minor party counts. Leaving us the freedom to vote for a party we actually like, rather than having to pick the one that will do the least harm. The way it is often the case in the US.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2015-11-07 04:57 pm (UTC)It makes it all better now.
There are many things wrong with Monarchy. Finances is only one of them.
no subject
Date: 2015-11-07 05:10 pm (UTC)Our King and his family don't have any real power, let's get that out of the way first. But what he does add, is neutrality. Our monarch is constitutionally restricted from showing political preferences. He can have them, he's just not allowed to show or talk about them. As such, in any situation where he represents the country, he represents the entire country, and not just one political side. And in a country like Belgium that barely hangs together based on compromise and dozens of political parties, someone who is above the Wallonie vs Flandres division, and doesn't represent one specific ideology is essential to keep the country together.
It's not just that a king is cheaper than a president (no matter how much people still complain about any money given to to the royal family), it's that they give us a symbol of Belgium as a whole, of continuity, rather than a broken line.
Prime ministers get replaced every few years, but the monarch doesn't. And considering the current situation, I can be sure that it'll take at least twenty more years (at the very least, probably we can add a few more decades to that) before the current king hands over his position to his eldest daughter. (seeing as how she's only 14 at the moment)
no subject
Date: 2015-11-08 02:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-08 05:01 am (UTC)And partly because of that, we are not a two party state. We have over five major parties, several of whom have to work together to form a government, preventing the country from falling in the hands of extremists.
No one party ever rules on its own.
As such even a vote for a minor party counts. Leaving us the freedom to vote for a party we actually like, rather than having to pick the one that will do the least harm. The way it is often the case in the US.