Queen Elizabeth II died today at Balmoral
(www.bbc.co.uk)
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This is unfortunate news. My impression of her was of a fair but impotent head of state, one who could have done more to protect the realm, but wasn't an agent of its destruction. I can't imagine that whatever happens next will be as good.
To be fair she was kind of like a minarchist's dream. She didn't run the state, she hardly made decisions that swayed essential activities, and she generally stayed out of the business of UK politics. She was more of a symbol of UK unity and nothing more, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing because she basically existed to keep people united, without any use of force either.
As far as monarchies and empires go, England has a strong 'minarchist' history. The crown was practically a night watchman state through the whole age of sail.
Yeah, that's why I emphasized on minarchist and not anarchist because obviously their government wasn't an anarchy. Part of the reason why everyone, even far leftoids and people who we view as our political enemies have respect for her was she seemed to have stayed the fuck out of everyone's business. In her later years she spent more time being "the world's grandma" (in the good sense, not in the bad nanny state sorta way) by trying to build relationships, rather than alliances, if that make any sense.
FFS even Putin who despises the Western leaders of the world spoke highly of her.
Honestly, if all heads of states could be described that way most of them would be an improvement.