Guitars and Life

Don't you love the little irony of the first official visit to another country by the newly-wed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is to Canada. Canada for those of you geographically challenge is less than a stones throw from the USA. And the timing of this visit which already has shown a superb level of pomp and fanatical support for the British monarchy is timed to be over the same weekend the USA have their celebration of independence from said monarchy. Priceless. Whoever came up with that is a total genius!

I would say for most of my life I've been a "non-royalist", that is to say I'm not a rabid supporter and find much of the trappings of the monarchy a outdated anachronism. I don't like the pomp and splendour with it - I think it overblown, too expensive, and condescending to the general population. However as I've got older I've had to asked myself - "So say you could replace the monarchy. What would you do?" And increasingly I find myself struggling to come up with an alternative. Do I really want an elected president? Hmm... possibly not. Why not? Well it'll mean again candidates who are there for themselves not the people. Candidates on zealot missions which might spark the public for a period but potentially leave us with messy legacies. Also look around you, this maybe again a product of my age and getting to realise that no one is any better or worse than another generally but here is a question. Where are the statesmen (and wome...