Olerand wrote:Old Tyrannia wrote:1- I don't much like arbitrary power, and much prefer a government in which power is divided between different institutions; I oppose tyranny by minority or by majority. However, I do admire the ideals of the enlightened absolutists, and I consider an enlightened despotism to be a preferable form of government than democracy in less developed nations. Voltaire is one of my main political and philosophical influences.
2- Monarchy is far from done. I live in a monarchy. I also know quite a few French monarchists, and even a few American monarchists. Monarchy is the most successful form of government in the history of the world.
3- Makes me glad we're not joined to you lot anymore. Thank God for the English Channel.
1- Interesting. An "enlightened bureaucratic monarchy" then?
As I said before, I prefer an executive constitutional monarchy. By which I mean a monarchy in which the monarch is restricted by a written or unwritten constitution, and regulated by a strong aristocracy, bureaucracy, and elected bodies. My views are of course shaped by my nationality; other countries have their own traditions and may be suited to a more autocratic or democratic method of governance. In large nations with powerful executives, however, like the Russian Empire or Imperial China, I would advocate a high degree of decentralisation as a check on tyranny as well as to increase governmental efficiency. In short, I'm a believer in the principle of subsidiarity; as the Carlists put it, Dios, Patria, Fueros, Rey- God, Fatherland, Local Rule, and King. Although unlike the Carlists, I'm not entirely sure about God.
2- Well, by monarchy, I meant ours of course. The French monarchy is not coming back. As for those French monarchists, they are fighting a lost fight too. The Republic is heavily ingrained in our country today, and support for the retrograde Bourbons is quasi-non-existent.
Anything is possible. History is unpredictable, and the French monarchy has been restored in some shape of form three times already since the revolution.
3- Anymore? When were you ever?
And you got off lucky. So much of your history is just due to you being across the Channel.
You didn't go through what we did because your distance from Rome made you less influenced by the Church's power, and thus not as interested in massive witch hunts and Catholic vs. Protestant slaughters.
Oh, about 10,000 years ago. The landbridge was flooded at the end of the last ice age. That Britain is blessed with an optimum geographical position I will not debate.