Quote:
Originally Posted by garinda
I don't believe in the honours system.
Doubly so, as a republican.
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Idem -though i do love the idea of the chivalrous knights of old.
As to Republics i only have first hand experience of one and as far as I can see Italy's Second Republic is far worse than the UK's Constitutional Monarchy in most ways. (The first was short-lived during Napolean's time)
There is far more bureaucracy = more Civil Servants, some of whom retire after 15 yrs service on fat pensions.
The political system is less democratic eg Mario Monti a Prime Minister who has never been elected by the people.
There are more politicians at every level from local - national, and they are some of the highest paid in Europe.
They effectively have a "House of Lords" in the form of the Senate.
There is an Honours system which rarely includes ordinary people -The Cavalieri del Lavoro (Knights of Work) are mainly industrialists and to become a Life Senator is a really great meal ticket - they get something like 9,000 euros a month for doing nothing.
Successive governments from 1945 on have served to feather the beds of the new aristocracy who effectively are the political class. So at the end of the day it's just more of the same - and probably worse.
As an interesting footnote :There was another Republic during the war started by Mussolini - known as the Republic of Salò it was based in Gargnano on Lake Garda where Mussolini resided between 1943-45 in the Villa Feltrinelli -a beautiful place which witnessed much madness in those years.(See photo).
