Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Empire is gone. The Commonwealth may be going the same way.

Belize likely to become republic, says PM as he criticises Rishi Sunak

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... ishi-sunak

(and)

‘Colonialism lingers’: Belize shrugs off coronation amid calls for reparations

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... olonialism

Jamaica: King's coronation accelerates plans for Jamaican republic – with referendum 'as early as 2024'

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/jamaica- ... 4-12872453

Commonwealth Indigenous leaders demand apology from the king for effects of colonisation

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... lonisation

Logged toff: Māori artist’s web plugin replaces king’s coronation with Indigenous news

Hāmiora Bailey says wall to wall Charles III coverage is unappealing to Indigenous people and has devised a solution

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... enous-news

I don't know why, but I don't think Charlie is anywhere near as popular as his mum was.

According to Cracked, Charlie had a habit of inviting comedians to dinner. At one gathering, with Robin Williams, Billy Connolly and Stephen Fry in attendance, he asked Eric Idle if he fancied being his court jester. Apparently Idle replied "Why the fuck would I want a fucking awful job like that?", and realised Charlie was being serious.

Meanwhile in Canada, eh...

Poll suggests most Canadians don't want Charles as King

Though the May 6 event is likely the first coronation many Canadians will have a chance to watch themselves — the last one was when Charles's mother, Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago in 1953 — the number of Canadians who say they're looking forward to watching the event is small.

A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests most respondents (60 per cent) oppose even recognizing Charles as King. Just 28 per cent say they have a favourable view of Charles, while nearly half (48 per cent) do not.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/king-cha ... -1.6816980

And Grenada

Grenadian prime minister 'hopes' country will become republic under his leadership

Sky News spoke to Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell who "believes" the West Indian island nation would cease being a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch as its head of state, during his lifetime.

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/grenadia ... p-12873176

Would I be right in thinking that the Commonwealth isn't a happy family of nations, but a structure imposed on former colonies by a British government reluctant to let go of empire?

According to Private Eye, it was Brenda's pet project, and people were happy to humour her. There wasn't even much enthusiasm for it in Whitehall. Things may have changed there, as now it's about a) keeping what friends we have left on side, and b) keeping the Chinese out. Although the ship may have sailed on the second one.

Ah. So it's a structure imposed on former colonies by a British monarch reluctant to let go of empire.

Probably not actually imposed, as there was a lot of genuine respect for Elizabeth. Respect which her eldest son doesn't seem to have.

Pretty much. The countries that joined it (Rwanda and Mozambique) were basket cases looking for anyone to call friends.

At a time when USA and USSR were conducting proxy wars at neutral countries in faraway continents
There was a practical value in belonging to a large organisation to avoid getting dragged in one one side or another.

There was the unspoken potential of military assistance (not that it helped Grenada), and a big nuclear armed uncle.
Also some soft power touches in the form of scholarships to good universities, an example of stable governance and the chance of development aid.

How many of those perks can broken brexit Britain offer today?

We've cut aid to the bone, made our attitude to immigrants perfectly clear (even on student visas).
Many of those countries will look at their government and ours, and think "we do a better job here".

In short, we're no longer a power to follow, nor an example to aspire to.

I should point out that just because these nations want to remove the king as head of state, doesn't mean they want to leave the commonwealth, Barbados removed the Queen as head of state and they're are still in the commonwealth.

How many of those perks can broken brexit Britain offer today?

We've cut aid to the bone, made our attitude to immigrants perfectly clear (even on student visas).
Many of those countries will look at their government and ours, and think "we do a better job here".

In short, we're no longer a power to follow, nor an example to aspire to.

The best Caribbean Commonwealth islands can now do to protect their interests in the EU (Leeward islands protecting their banana exports for eg) is to lobby their Francophone neighbours so Paris can put in a word.
Farage is the inheritor of the League of Empire Loyalists and the Commonwealth is a totemic fetish for Brexit blockheads. Despite having little clue what it does and forwarding preposterous fantasies as to what they think it could do. Its a networking organisation (which is handy) but little more.

Who do these people think they are? Demanding we return shiny expensive loot we stole from them during a war to steal their entire country. How very dare they!

The ruler of Ghana's Asante people has asked the British Museum to return gold items in its collection to his country.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, recently met the museum's director Dr Hartwig Fischer for discussions.

The museum's collection includes works taken from the Asante palace in Kumasi during the war with the British of 1874...

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment- ... 614490.amp

The British Museum told the BBC it is "exploring the possibility of lending items" to Ghana.

We may let you borrow some of the things we stole from you, and you can jolly well think yourselves lucky if we do.

Scotland has some kind of committee system in which colonial booty with cultural importance in museums can be returned.