Monarchy in America?

By W.R. McBride

It’s interesting comparing the monarchy of Great Britain and that newly emergent one here in the United States of America. Great Britain has largely moved itself further and further away from a constitutional monarchy, keeping their royal family as mostly symbolic figureheads. We have moved from a largely democratic country free of royalty or class systems, to the Bush dynasty, with personal and religious freedoms being mostly figurative.

I bring this up because of Prince Harry’s little debacle last Fall with his awful choice of costumes. Not content with being a ghost, vampire, or Powerpuff girl, the brilliant boy donned military regalia replete with swastikas. Not that I’m excusing this serious breach of taste, cultural insensitivity, and good sense, but really, lets face it; royalty or not, he’s still a teenager which almost demands heaping spoons full of stupid actions, bad taste, and insensitivity.

I seriously doubt he was thinking of genocide and world conquest when he dressed that way, he was just being a stupid kid expecting a few laughs from his friends. I’m certain that at this point in time he can give 11 million reasons why what he did was wrong.

The interesting thing to me is that the United States went up in arms over this, but says nothing about our own head of state that is emulating many of the actions and beliefs of the historic swastika homeboy. Let’s examine a few points:

• Both regimes have altered and suppressed actual scientific data to support their own worldviews? Right out of the nazi handbook Bush’s administration has rewritten text from textbooks to environmental reports to statistics about AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Web sites, reports, and books have been altered to fit his extremely far-right beliefs. The CDC website has been forced to remove much of it’s info about contraception, birth control, and safe sex in lieu of pushing abstinence only programs. Including changing facts, which could very well save lives?

• Limiting civil liberties? Yeah, Junior has seen fit to remove certain liberties from almost all Americans. From the far-reaching effects of the homeland securities act to the patriot act, all erode aspects of the bill of rights and the constitution. And in this state, the little goose steppers have sought to make it nearly impossible for us to make changes to our state constitution. And three times in the recent past after we have voted on a change or amendment, they have waited to the next election to reword it so we’d vote against it. Anyone else getting that evil Orwellian feeling?

• The egocentric, almost xenophobic belief that his religion and beliefs are the only correct ones? He said it best himself, you are either with him or you are against him. I wonder what Jesus would say about his actions so far? If we don’t become the monarchy we are heading towards on a toboggan, we will most assuredly become a theocracy.

• Disregard for other countries sovereignty? Well, lets be honest, he had every reason to enter Afghanistan. That corrupt government attacked us and sponsored worldwide terrorism. His actions now, however, are only creating ten fold the number of terrorists we would have faced had he not entered Iraq. God help us all if he starts something with Iran or North Korea.

• He sucks up to the rich and powerful and the extremist right political movement. Well yeah, but who doesn’t? I mean, if there’s one thing that we have learned from “The Apprentice”, it’s that all of America wants to kiss Donald Trump’s ass. (Just don’t give me that haircut)

• He firmly believes his mandates are directed by god? Scary, but then what zealot isn’t? This brilliance has influenced nearly all his bootlicking concessions to the far right Christian conservatives.

• He believes war is the answer to his economic problems. He seems unwavering in his determination to start another world war. His schoolyard bully mentality of name calling, policy dictating, and arrogance have driven friends away, united our enemies, and caused our closest alleys and supporters to wonder what could be leading this country to reelect such a pompous frat house thug. Unlike Hitler who in his insane mind actually believed he was helping Germany, bush could care less about the majority of us so long as his major political contributors and big business interests get what they need.

• There is the fact that while only one of these guys is a foreign national; neither Bush not Hitler has a very coherent grasp of English. While the Nazi’s were responsible for such words as Blitzkrieg, one has only to watch COMEDY CENTRAL’s The Daily Show any evening to see what new word Bush is trying to trick us into accepting.

• He has a small group of ideologues in key positions of power. The thing to wonder about is who gets to start making up nicknames like ‘Angel of Death’ for Rice, Cheney, and Rumsfeild, or can we just use “minister of lies” across the board?

• Will he leave a war scared, weary, desolate earth as his legacy? I’d say that between his environmental policies and his foreign policies, this is already certain.

It’s funny how easily humans will judge something based solely on looks and dressing, yet totally disregard the character and substance of this thing.

For my next trick I’m comparing Condolesea Rice to the wicked Witch of the west from the Wizard of Oz, and Cheney to the Hamburgler. Then I’ll do a point counter point to whom I would most like to be in a dark alley with, Rumsfeld or Captain Hook.

Do I believe Iran is lead by a very scary theocracy? Yes, Do I think N’ Korea is led by an exocentric maniac? Yup, Do I believe in an Axis of Evil? Yeah, but I don’t have to look over seas to find one.