To quote How I Met Your Mother, "nothing good happens after 2am". Also, I shouldn't write on forums when I'm in a bad mood. So I'd like to apologise for my 3am sleep-deprived bile. Now, that aside, I'd like to add while I hate the presence and idea of a monarchy, I actually don't dislike (most of) the Royals as people - I judge them as individuals based on merit, like I do everyone else (some of you may notice a theme in my political views). Actually for Harry I have a certain amount of respect, as he serves active duty in the military - I actually have some sympathy for him, given that he chose to do this despite the huge target on his back due to lineage alone. A questionable career choice, therefore, but he had no more control over his own genealogy than did I or anyone else. Likewise, none of them can so much as take a dump without 16 tabloids reporting about it, so I figure that earns some sympathy too. The media should bloody well leave them alone, especially that poor baby.
As for a certain argument that the monarchy prevents the government from going power-mad, I have to say that, with respect, you've got it arse-backwards. Giving more power to a smaller number of people whose positions are decided by something as arbitrary as bloodline is in no way less likely to go wrong than disseminating power over (relatively) larger numbers, each of whom is elected in some way and thus has a much less stable position from which to "run amok". That's pretty much the point of democracy (other than throwing out the "divine right to rule" crap), even if it is far from perfect. You might also notice that a "power-crazed" dictatorship is a dictatorship, not a democracy. As in, a democratic leader is elected, whereas a dictator seizes or persuades their way into ultimate authority then sets arbitrary rules like, idunno, bloodline, regarding how succession is decided. You might say that a dictatorship is the rule of one single person, a mono-archy if you will. Maybe after a few centuries legitimises the whole thing we might find a contraction for that word, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
Regarding the balance of profitability, I've seen arguments in both directions picking each other apart, and while I remain skeptical that they bring in more than they cost I'll now concede that I don't know enough to pass judgement. My point in posting that video was more along the lines of "don't believe everything you hear from a YouTube video".
So to clarify, my issue here is that no-one should get special privelages (eg tax breaks) based on heredity alone in a fair and just society to which I think we should aspire (and, indeed, that this nation already claims to be). Unlike some people, where I see injustice I see a problem that needs to be fixed, not an uncomfortable truth to be tolerated or ignored. To risk repeating myself, treat 'em like normal people, no more and no less, for better and for worse, and I'll mostly be happy. And I don't want to hear about them unless they do something remarkable. Probably not even then, to be honest. Successfully figuring out how to utilise their reproductive organs does not count as "something important", just to be clear.
