On Sat, 19 Mar 1994, Larry Boswell wrote:
> re Prince Charles commenting on architectural styles--that
> hardly qualifies as activism or a constitutional faux-pas!
Certainly not at this point, I agree. But it doesn't take much imagination
--it might even appear on TV ;-)-- to see how an activist monarch,
concerned about the actions of a stupid and venal government (either side
--take your pick), could create a difficult situation for a representative
democracy.
Imagine if the monarch was a crypto-fascist with great antipathy to
democratic institutions--would one be sanguine about such an actvist
sovereign roaming the streets and airwaves? Perhaps picketing abortion
clinics? Perhaps standing outside Commons with a 'peaceful demonstration'
of 100,000? (Of course I'm looking at this with American eyes.) I think
not. I am absolutely, let me repeat, saying that Prince Charles is
anything like that; I happen to admire and agree with much of what he
says. I was only making the--actually slightly kidding Howard--point about
the range of things upon which one might critique the Prince of Wales.
David Sucher
> re Prince Charles commenting on architectural styles--that
> hardly qualifies as activism or a constitutional faux-pas!
Certainly not at this point, I agree. But it doesn't take much imagination
--it might even appear on TV ;-)-- to see how an activist monarch,
concerned about the actions of a stupid and venal government (either side
--take your pick), could create a difficult situation for a representative
democracy.
Imagine if the monarch was a crypto-fascist with great antipathy to
democratic institutions--would one be sanguine about such an actvist
sovereign roaming the streets and airwaves? Perhaps picketing abortion
clinics? Perhaps standing outside Commons with a 'peaceful demonstration'
of 100,000? (Of course I'm looking at this with American eyes.) I think
not. I am absolutely, let me repeat, saying that Prince Charles is
anything like that; I happen to admire and agree with much of what he
says. I was only making the--actually slightly kidding Howard--point about
the range of things upon which one might critique the Prince of Wales.
David Sucher