Horse Marries Cock

I feel I should say something about the Royal Wedding, given that I am sitting in front of my computer in the hope of avoiding it. Nothing very clever springs to mind apart from a reassertion of my complete rejection of the institution of Monarchy. Not only is it an anachronism, but it's also embarassing. Do I really want to be "represented" around the world by this bunch of inbred, blue-blooded, bigotted, half-wits? Let's just call the whole thing of, brush democracy down and start all over again.

Unfortunately, you're not exactly encouraged to say this sort of thing publicly as Republic "the campaign for an elected head of state" found out when they submitted an anti-monarchist advert (available as a pdf here) to the Daily Mail. The paper simply refused to print it and has, as yet, not given a reason. It could be worse. During the celebrations around the Jubilee in 2002, the Movement Against the Monarchy (MA'M) organised an "Execute the Queen street party". Apparently horrified by their failure to show the required degree of obsequiousness the police turned up and arrested everyone, forcing them onto a comandeered Number 11 Buswhich then dropped them off at various police stations across London. This was completely undprecedented and a ridiculous over-reaction. It ultimately cost the police a small fortune, after they had to pay out over £80,000 in damages (£3,500 for each protester). The protesters celebrated their payout by using some of the money to go for a tour around London in an open-topped Routemaster bus, stopping off at New Scotland Yard, Buckingham Palace, Plumstead and Bishopsgate Police Stations (two of the stations the arrestees were detained) before finishing off at the pub where it had all started.