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Humans really like having a figurehead, a living symbol of their country. A monarch provides this living symbol without giving them any apparent democratic legi

Humans really like having a figurehead, a living symbol of their country. A monarch provides this living symbol without giving them any apparent democratic legitimacy - it's obvious that the King wasn't chosen by the people, he's just luck of the draw and so if he tried to seize power that's obviously illegitimate. In contrast, an elected President has democratic legitimacy and we see over, and over, and over what happens is that a President takes the opportunity to try to seize power. It used to happen that I'd explain this and then Americans, who apparently don't study history, would object that obviously this would never happen with their President ...

dghf 1y ago
With an executive president, sure: but when the president is largely ceremonial and/or a constitutional backstop (much like a constitutional monarch, in fact, except elected), I think the risk is much less. And it's not like constitutional monarchs are risk-free, either: see, for example, the Shah of Iran in 1953.
bregma 1y ago
> A monarch provides this living symbol without giving them any apparent democratic legitimacy - it's obvious that the King wasn't chosen by the people, he's just luck of the draw and so if he tried to seize power that's obviously illegitimate. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you. I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away.
- tialaramex 1y ago
  Emperor Norton's story is pretty cool. No scimitars lobbed by moistened bints though, he was just a bit mad in an era before they put people away.
account42 1y ago
Do Humans like it or do they simply not have a choice in the matter?
- tialaramex 1y ago
  Celebrity is this same instinct. There are a whole bunch of people who are famous for being famous. How else would you explain that?

dghf 1y ago

With an executive president, sure: but when the president is largely ceremonial and/or a constitutional backstop (much like a constitutional monarch, in fact, except elected), I think the risk is much less. And it's not like constitutional monarchs are risk-free, either: see, for example, the Shah of Iran in 1953.

bregma 1y ago

> A monarch provides this living symbol without giving them any apparent democratic legitimacy - it's obvious that the King wasn't chosen by the people, he's just luck of the draw and so if he tried to seize power that's obviously illegitimate. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you. I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away.

tialaramex 1y ago
Emperor Norton's story is pretty cool. No scimitars lobbed by moistened bints though, he was just a bit mad in an era before they put people away.

account42 1y ago

Do Humans like it or do they simply not have a choice in the matter?

tialaramex 1y ago
Celebrity is this same instinct. There are a whole bunch of people who are famous for being famous. How else would you explain that?