Persian Realm

Great Britain is under Shock after the attack on the country's heir to the Throne. Amidst the current international economic crisis in a Post Sept 11th world, maybe the current student upheaval, is after all a blessing in disguise for the World's Oldest Democracy, as a necessary reminder that no democratic institution is to be taken for granted and that the Political elite needs to find imaginative ways of connecting with the Nation at Large. ( See Further Below My Response to Comments on Previous Blog: ROYALFORUM: Prince Charles and Camilla's Car has been attacked by protesters )

Royal Couple 'Looked Terrified' in Car Attack:
An AP photographer captured the royal couple's shock while a local man recorded the chaos on his mobile phone

A Horse, a Horse My Kingdom For a Horse - Richard III:
The Death of King Richard III, from "Richard III" (1955) - Laurence Olivier

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent - Richard III:
Peter Sellers doing his version of Laurence Olivier's version of "Now is the winter of our discontent" through The Beatles' "A hard day's night" version. The TV program was 1964 "Music of Lennon and McCartney".

Blackadder the Third - Episode 6: "Duel and Duality":

The Duke of Wellington arrives to challenge the Prince to a duel, unaware that he and Blackadder have exchanged places. Hilarious clip taken from the classic BBC comedy Blackadder.

(NOTE: Watch FULL Episode Here: Part I, Part II):

Prince Charles, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie talk about Stephen Fry and Blackadder:

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The Republican Rule and Legitimacy is No Less Challenged Than Monarchies
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FRANCE:
French President Sarkozy Insulted during a visit to the Agriculture Salon Responds Back:
Women Refuses to shake hands with French President Sarkozy during a visit to School for hairdressers:

ITALY:
Berlusconi attacked at Milan rally - 14 Dec 09:
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has been taken to hospital after being attacked in the city of Milan.

VATICAN:
Pope Benedict XVI Knocked Down at Christmas Mass Dec 24th 2009:
A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday. 2 Americans, Marybeth Burns and Steve Burns, captured that moment on their cameras.

NETHERLANDS:
Violent Crash Misses Dutch Queen:
Dutch TV says at least two people were killed when a speeding car raced toward an open bus carrying Dutch Queen Beatrix and her family during a holiday parade Thursday and careened through spectators. (April 30)

CNN Report with Subtitles:

The Queen's Reaction ( English Subtitles):

More Recent Attack:
Around 60 people were injured and the Dutch queen was briefly rushed to safety Tuesday when a screaming man caused panic among thousands of people gathered for the country's annual Memorial Day ceremony honouring World War II and other war victims.

QueenBeatrix has to run after scare ( With Photos)

SPAIN:

Queen Sophia during Parade:

Spain's Queen Sophia Breaks Protocol by Responding Positively to an unexpected demand from a women despite

security measures Trying to dissuade her:

BELGIUM:
King Albert II
anarchist Jean-Pierre van Rossem interrupts Belgian King Albert II's Oath at Parliament by Shouting "Long Live the Republic of Europe"

SYLDAVIA:

King Ottakar Palace Reception interrupted by an unexpected intruder ;0)

Tintin arrested in trying to Alert the King of a Plot against him in Hergé's King Ottokar's Sceptre

Related Blog:
ROYAL FORUM: Prince Charles and Camilla's Car has been attacked by protesters

Other Related Blogs:

GALLOWAY's REPUBLIC: George Galloway on the Decline of the British Monarchy

What does it mean to be royal? Charlie Rose interviews Jeremy Paxman on the British Monarchy

ROYAL RHINOPLASTY: Stephen Fry On The Imperfections of the Monarchy and Why It Should Be Preserved

HISTORY FORUM: How Truly Democratic is The British Monarchy ?
RESTORATION: Prince Charles, The Meddling Prince (5 Parts)

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RESPONSE TO A FELLOW BLOGGER ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG

ROYALFORUM: Prince Charles and Camilla's Car has been attacked by protesters

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These are symptomatic of a much deeper crisis in the Western due to the economic crisis.

The Violence in proportional to the frustrations people feel with what they deem unjust: Unemployment, social injustice, political incompetence to name a few.

Berlusconi attacked at Milan rally - 14 Dec 09

For 30 years after WW2 in what became known as "Les 30 Glorieuses" in France the West benefited from a social and economic growth unprecedented in the history of mankind with the US Marshall Plan which helped reconstruct Europe from the rubbles of WW2.

The Oil Crisis of '73 and then '79 were two successive blows to the European economy hence the unemployment issue that has crippled our economies since.

One of the great ironies of France's May '68 revolution was that there was No Unemployment issue in France at the Time, nor was there any particular reason for the the uprisings except an aging political establishment deemed out of touch with the youth and embodied by an aging Charles De Gaulle who despite all his services to France was unjustly seen by the Youth as a dictator.

But today's Crisis is Far more deep in not just Europe but all Western Democracies due to the economic crisis and the general loss of credibility of a political establishment both in the US And Britain which are engaged in a costly and bloody war in Iraq and Afghanistan which they have a very hard time to come to terms with.

On the other hand the Rise of Economic Giants such as China or India ( a Former Colony) or even Russia where Nationalism is replacing the inferiority complex which inflicted Third World Countries for the past 100 to 150 years is turning the table of values and priorities in the world and distributing a new world order equally economic, strategic and political.

Hence the Chinese Snub of the Nobel Peace Prize

China anger as Nobel award looms

which has totally lost credibility as an Academic institution since the controversial awarding of President Obama last year and seen as a Political tool of the Western Governments to justify their own democratic Institutions seen as an arrogant attitude by non western powers.

Where in My opinion we are mistaken to rejoice is the fact that the fall of Western Powers in the World which in the past 70 years since the end of WW2 were seen as a Beacon of Freedom and Hope will be challenged by new Powers for whom democracy comes second to nationalism and a thirst for political and geo strategic recognition they have always been deprived of.

The genuine danger is less the loss of credibility of the Western Political Establishment in general than the lack of understanding of the rising Asian Powers of the road taken by the world's Oldest democracies to reach a common understanding of what democracy means and the price paid to have one and keep it.

The sufferings endured by Europe and America during WW1, WW2, the Holocaust are overshadowed by Europe's Colonial rule which for the majority ended more than half a century ago yet is often used as a pretext by former colonized nations or even Iran today of having been exploited.

The question is will the Rising Economic Giants like India, China, Russia offer a social model in a near future which would meet the democratic and humanistic standards from when the West largely benefited throughout the 20th Century and particularly ever since the end of WW2 and the creation of the Not so United Nations in 1948 ?

I am not so sure.

When a Bellicose regime like that of the IRI calls for the death of Western Powers since 1979, or it's President Organizes a Holocaust conference with total disregard to the victims (not just jews but gypsies, homosexuals, Negroes from German Colonies in Africa, mentally sick patients on whom the Nazis did experiences on)

HOLOCAUST A MYTH: Michelle Renouf on Iranian SAHAR TV

thus joining hands with the most undemocratic and racist political parties in Europe who rejoice at Ahmadinejad's comments each time they hear him:

Jean Marie Le Pen say's Holocaust Gas Chambers a minor Incident in WWII History

or When Ahmadinejad demands reparations for so called WW2 damages

Ahmadinejad Demands Compensation for WWII Invasion

when Iran hardly paid the heavy price of a country like France under Nazi Occupation despite having largely benefited from much of the western help at the time:

pictory: Allied Troops Bring Medical Aid to Iranian Children during WW 2 (1940's)

And contrary to the Germans, Italians or Japanese which were seen as enemies of the West, Iran on the contrary was encouraged to join the Victory Parades as an Equal Ally of Democratic Powers:

Iran in London WW II parade

Iran in London WW II parade (2)

As Much as economic victory and rise of geo strategic influence is always a source of pride for any nation, it is wrong to think that the Fall of Democracies should be a source of joy to ANY Nation which aspires to seeing the same democratic become a standard in their own country.

As Such, what is happening in the UK, Italy, France, or America as opposed to Rising economic powers in Asia is not something to rejoice from.

If The Ruling class and political establishment in these Western Democracies are to blame but so are the people who thought for more than half a century that Democracy was to be taken for granted.

As for other's who arrogantly rejoice from this decline of the West, and who see in the likes of individuals such as Holocaust Deniers like Michelle Renouf (which they ignorantly present as a "Human Rights" Activist) a Role Model ...

Well not only they don't know what they are talking about but more tragically are leading their people on a dangerous and unpredictable road to oblivion and totalitarian endorsements for which humanity at large paid the most heavy price.

History is bound to repeat itself if we don't learn from it:

Clearly many including on this thread still haven't.

My Humble Opinion,

DK