Queen Elizabeth Takes Member of Parliament Hostage

This week Queen Elizabeth II gave her annual address to Parliament. The speech is written for her by the Tories or whoever happens to be in power, and she tells Parliament what they were already planning to do. Only with tremendous pomp. Far more than our own State of the Union Address. Because of the historic power struggle between monarch and legislature the Queen “takes a hostage” from Parliament, who waits at her palace until she returns in one piece. The event begins with a guy called the Black Rod telling the House of Commons to make way for the monarch, and they ceremonially slam the door shut in his face. Then the Queen walks to the House of Lords (because she is forbidden by law to step foot into the House of Commons). I like this kind of stuff, and I think Britain has the right idea by heaping the nation’s respect and reverence on someone with no actual power.

In America our president is both head of government and head of state, so you hear people say things like, “I don’t like the president, but I respect the office.” You shouldn’t–it’s just the highest bureaucrat in the land. That’s why I am in favor of making Betty White the Queen of America and letting the cult of the presidency wither away.

Learn More: Queen Elizabeth Takes Member of Parliament Hostage