PrintApril 27, 2011
The Left's Plan to Ruin the Royal Wedding
This Friday's Royal Wedding in London between Prince William and Kate Middleton arguably is the most important British event so far this century. The wedding will receive enormous international publicity, has the potential to give Britain a long term shot in the arm in terms of tourism, and will also give Britons something to be proud of and to celebrate in the face of Britain's declining role on the international stage.
Needless to say, the left are not happy at the prospect, and have dug out their (small r) republican hats for the month. Although there will be some of us on the right who will be sympathetic to their claims that the monarchy is an outdated, undemocratic institution that treats the people as subjects rather than citizens, it is important to realize that this is not the left's real beef with the monarchy or the Royal Wedding. One only needs to look at how the same people decrying the unelected sovereignty of the Royal Family have no problem with handing over enormous amounts of both power and money to unelected European Union bureaucrats to see that democracy is not the issue.
It is also important to note that, without having the separation of powers that America has, the removal of the Monarchy would leave a power vacuum that would almost certainly be filled by a more powerful state apparatus. With the House of Lords having been reformed by Labour into a weak house of cronies, it would leave the powerful House of Commons unopposed to do as it wishes. While this suits those on the left who love the idea of an unchallenged big government, those who do not share this preference can appreciate the important (albeit imperfect) role that the Monarchy plays.
Yet it is not just their desire for more state power that fuels the left's hatred for Friday. Everything about a Royal Wedding is a nightmare for the left: a celebration of British tradition and heritage; a traditional wedding in a church; a predominately upper class affair involving those from privileged backgrounds; and all topped off with a strong dose of British patriotism with Union Jacks flying all over the country. Only if Margaret Thatcher herself were conducting the ceremony could it get any worse for the British left.
So of course, the left plan to ruin it. As I mentioned in a previous article for the American Thinker, the left cannot stand any form of luxury or highbrow culture, and will therefore attempt to destroy it at all costs. The leftist army has been mobilized.
The leftist coalition has been formed from anti-monarchist groups such as "Republic," trade unions, Trotskyite student groups, tax and spend group "UK Uncut" (who were responsible for a great deal of the violence in protests in the capital last month), all the way to the weird and wonderful such as "Queer Resistance" -- a group of gay, lesbian, and transsexual activists planning to mock the royal couple. More disturbing are flash mob groups such as "Better Wed than Dead" who have been putting up posters of Kate and Prince William with nooses around their necks, accompanying the slogan "Time to Tie the Knot."
One is tempted to delight in the left once again revealing who they really are. The wedding is being paid for by the Royal Family and the Middleton family, and only the costs of security and clean up are being footed by the tax payer, so the argument that this is a "fiscal responsibility" issue is utter nonsense. In fact the stimulating effect it will have on the economy (tourism, street parties, merchandise, etc) will benefit Britain, as well as providing an extra national holiday to a nation that already has very few.
Additionally, in the face of such support and enthusiasm for the Royal Wedding, the left will look like bitter, twisted spoilsports as they attempt to lecture the public about what they "should" be enjoying and getting excited about. The British public will surely turn against the ideologues, and will distance themselves from such nonsense.
However, this delight should be tempered, for there is a strong risk that the radical left may succeed in ruining Britain's special day. A combination of career politicians being put in charge of the police force, a left-wing media determined to stoke up any accusations of "police brutality," and 13 years of a left-wing government keen to react to such accusations, has resulted in a British police force that is in no state to deal with violent riots from the radical left. This has been shown time and time again in recent months where a minority of violent rioters have managed to wreak havoc in London.
Should Friday's protestors manage to interfere with proceedings, or cause significant trouble, it would be covered by the international media and seen all over the world. Should London be allowed to descend into anarchy -- or worse, should there be a direct attack on the Royals -- Britain's standing in the world would take a significant hit. The day could be ruined, the nation embarrassed, and tourism could be damaged if Britain is seen as a violent anarchist state.
Friday should be a day that all in Britain should be looking forward to. Yet if the radical left are allowed their way, the day could be ruined, not only for Prince William and Miss Middleton, but for the nation as a whole. It is vital for Britain that the left are not allowed to succeed.
Adam Shaw is a conservative writer based in Manchester, England. His blog is The Anglo-American Debate. Follow him on Twitter: @ACShaw
