Quote of the Month

Writes the Mad Monarchist:

How on earth can people complain and complain and moan and groan about how terrible their elected leaders are and then still support making the House of Lords electoral?

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Some Quotes

Writes the Mad Monarchist:

Today, God help me, there is a Starbucks inside the Forbidden City. In many ways, I think that says it all. China has been one hundred years without an emperor. I hope the stooges in Peking are proud.

Writes Pax Dickinson:

Mass democracy would work if we had an informed responsible electorate, and communism would work if we were ants. But let's be realistic.

Captain von Trapp

65 years ago today, Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp passed away.

The Mad Monarchist has his profile.

Penal Democracy

Apparently, the right to vote is a human right, even for serving prisoners.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the United Kingdom is digesting a recent ruling from the European Court of Human Rights on this issue.


H/T: Ad Orientem

17th in House

This month marked the centennial of the passing of an amendment to the federal Constitution of those United States in a chamber of Congress.

A century and two weeks today, the United States House of Representatives passed Amendment XVII to the United States Constitution, rendering mandatory for the States popular election of United States Senators.

Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn

A baker's dozen years ago today, Erik Maria Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn passed away.

Please feel free to browse previous posts.

An Assassination Journey Starts...

98 years ago today, Gavrilo Princip left Belgrade for Sarajevo.

Fleming on the Norwegian Killings

Over at his Mail Online weblog, Dr. Thomas Fleming not too long ago reflected on the Norwegian mass murderer.

A Few on Gay "Marriage"

Mr. Rod Dreher reflects on the debate on same-sex “marriage” at the BBC.

He also has some related posts at his blog at the American Conservative (a selection):

• With Marriage Defenders Like These…
• My Disarmingly Polite Correspondents
• Gay Marriage Canards
• Why SSM Is Not ‘Loving’
• Gay Marriage, In Context
• Goodbye, Pro-Gay Young Christians?
• Some Burkean Thoughts on SSM
• MTD and Same-Sex Marriage

And Mr. Richard Spencer and Mr. Andy Nowicki talk about the craze over at AltRight Radio.

Also, over at the Daily Mail, Dr. Thomas Fleming gives his thoughts.

Three Monarchies

A baker's dozen decades ago today, the Triple Alliance was formed between the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy.

24 Types...

H/T: The Pittsford Perennialist

Humans and Rights

Over at Taki's Magazine, Dr. Paul Gottfried has some reflections on the concept of “human rights.”


H/T: Kalim Kassam

Celebrating the Constitution

Today is Constitution Day here in this oil kingdom. We are only two years short of the bicentennial.

A previous May 17 performance by the Royal Guards:

To Whom Does One Preach?

Over at LewRockwell.com, Dr. Tom Woods argues for preaching to the choir.

Coulombe on Lincoln vs. Davis and More

Charles A. Coulombe is interviewed primarily on the conflict known as the “American Civil War”:

Mr. Coulombe mentions the Confederate Museum in New Orleans.

Loyalist Peter Oliver

Unpopular Opinions presents an American Loyalist – Peter Oliver.

Passings

The last surviving great-grandchild of Her Late Britannic Majesty Queen Victoria, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte passed on previously this month. So did Emmanuelle de Dampierre, Duchess of Segovia.

Requiescat in pace!


Elsewhere: Royal World (Duchess), Sunday Telegraph (Count), Royal World (Count), Trond Norén Isaksen (Count)

Gunnar Sønsteby, RIP

This Thursday, Gunnar Sønsteby, Norway's greatest war hero, passed on. He was the country's highest decorated citizen. He led the bodyguard service for the Norwegian Royal Family after its return to Norway in 1945. He was the best man of Erling S. Lorentzen when the latter married Princess Ragnhild.

Requiescat in pace!


Elsewhere: Trond Norén Isaksen

Liechtensteiners to Vote on Assent

Apparently, the initiative for a referendum on the right to deny assent to referenda in the Principality of Liechtenstein has succeeded. Liechtensteiner Vaterland reports (in German) that there are 1732 signatories. The initiative apparently does not involve the right to deny assent to issues not put to a referendum.

Your host blogger wishes the referendum to fail.

WSJ: Jim Rogers

Mr. Jim Rogers is interviewed by the Wall Street Journal:

Zita

A dozen decades ago today, Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma was born.

Respect for the Process?

Ben Swann of Fox19 gives a sampling of the workings of American democracy:

Royal Sympathies

His Majesty the King of Norway gives comments (video, in Norwegian) to the sudden passing of elite swimmer Mr. Alexander Dale Oen.

The Crown Prince also gave his comments last week, as the weblog Scandinavian Royals reports.


Some readers may be puzzled as to the reason for this post. It is in part due to yours truly being a former competitive swimmer. Yours truly joins in the expression of sympathy.

April Cite Adds

Some more quotes on democracy from April.

Vox Populi says:

What we're seeing here is the last desperate gasps of democracy as the new aristocratic age struggles to be born.

Over at the blog of the Libertarian Alliance, D.J. Webb wrote:

Accountable government is not the same as democratic government. We have seen in recent years how we are still able to vote for governing parties, and yet still see the business of government largely conducted behind closed doors in Brussels and in Whitehall. The democratic electoral mechanism is still in place, but it doesn’t appear to make any difference any more. The reverse could also be true: a government could be accountable, while not being fully democratic.

H/T: Foseti

Cinco de Mayo

150 years ago today, the event that is “celebrated” as “Cinco de Mayo” took place.

The Mad Monarchist has some past reflections on this particular day.

Homeschooling

A bonus:

H/T: The LRC Blog

Cashlessness Coming

Not too long ago LewRockwell.com ran some blog posts and articles on the drive for a cashless society:

• The 'Progressive' Swedes Lead the Way Toward a Cashless Society
• A Cashless Society May Be Closer Than Most People Would Ever Dare To Imagine
• Cashless: The Coming War on Tax-Evasion and Decentralized Money

Paul, Krugman, and Forbes

Ron Paul and Paul Krugman debate each other:

And Steve Forbes says Ron Paul should have Ben Bernanke's job:

H/T: Travis Holte of the LRC Blog, Lew Rockwell's Political Theatre respectively

Congdon on the Lion of Lans

Over at Crisis Magazine, Dr. Lee Walter Congdon has some reflections on the thoughts of Dr. Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn.

A Challenge to Assent

A conflict over regal powers is ongoing in the Principality of Liechtenstein. So the Bangkok Post reports.