I've always found the notion of republicanism troubling.
Last year when Elizabeth and Philip Coburg-Saxe-Gothe (commonly known as
Windsor) visited Ireland a lot of republicans caused civil unrest and made
unreasonable demands to have the royal visitors return the 6 counties to the
Irish Nation. Such a bizarre demand as it's not within their mandate in the
British establishment to return any colony under the current democratic process
that exists in the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland.
Any Republican worth his or her salt would know that after
the Good Friday Agreement the provision that the country of Ireland was the
entire island was removed via popular vote.
It seems that republicans in this day and age do not respect the diplomatic
will of the people.
In fact nowhere in the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, is the word
"Republic" used. The preamble
reads more like a prayer:
In the
Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our
final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the
people of Éire,
Humbly
acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who
sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
Gratefully
remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful
independence of our Nation,
And
seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice
and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured,
true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord
established with other nations,
Do hereby
adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.
You would be forgiven for thinking that that after Ireland achieves Independence from one empire, capitulates to another. I often think of the Irish constitution as being plagiarism of the US constitution by a catholic fundamentalist with Archbishop McQuaid looking over his shoulder.
Watching the US presidential debates, the so called Republicans cry
fix when their candidate loses a debate, the republicans represent the
conservative mindset. The Democrats represent those more liberally inclined. Both republican and democrat mean the same
thing! The choice of the people is to be respected, but US politics has descended
into madness since the time of the founding-fathers of the United States. A
bi-partisan system is not a republican idea, nor is it a democratic idea, it has
a hint of the stench of totalitarianism - different arse, same smell.
Under the classical Greek idea of a republic, Justice puts the
person at the centre and it's the responsibility of the people to determine for
themselves how the rule of law should be applied. All citizens are responsible
for the own happiness and the happiness of others to create a flourishing and
pluralistic society where no person is excluded based on colour, background,
gender, sexuality or belief. But to capitulate to a value system coming from a
land-locked state with the City Centre of Rome, that values righteousness over
justice is a huge mistake. Under a tyranny of righteousness there is only black
and white, there are no grey areas and many miscarriages of justice can happen
under such a system. Thou shalt not .... but what if you have
no choice to do so to prevent harm coming to yourself or another. I shalt not
steal a weapon, knowing the owner has the intention to bring harm to me,
another or an animal? I shalt not kill president Palin, in Bruce Willis style
just about as she's going to press the button? I shalt not covet? really? in a capitalist
free market economy? I think that injunction from the top 10 is redundant, the
high-value goods my neighbour possesses are an Android smartphone and a
PlayStation 3 - I'm happy with my iPhone and Xbox 360 thanks.
Theft will occur, those who steal do it out of desperation as they
need to feed ..... Ah, here's the grey
area - their family, or their drug habit. One motivation to do wrong may be
honourable, and perhaps the other motivation deserves punishment for the sake
of society so it can flourish.
Only under a secular pluralist system where all citizens are
entitled to the right to self determination and have their own freedoms can a
society flourish without a majestira telling them what is verboten. No matter where you live in the world, the word
"Republican" needs to be reclaimed, so all people are equal, even the
leaders, without the high status of politicians, priests, popes and princes.
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