Stating it like that, you seem like the worst form of ignorant person that you, according to your alias WarOnIgnorance, want to wage war against.

I am in favour of the monarchial form of government, in a modern, constitutional manner. When I debate this issue with people in favour of republican forms of government, I do not try to claim that they are in favour of such republics as Germany 1933-45, the Soviet Union, the apartheid republic of South Africa, or the Slave States of the early United States.

Why would I really have to defend my views against statements such as yours?

If only you had had a smiley to go with your statement.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

@DDG

Whats the benefit of a modern constitutional monarchy in comparision to a Republic like lets say Austria in your opinion?

This is no trap question, I am just curious about your opinion.

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"Der echte Wiener ist aus Schleim gemeisselt"
Christoph Waltz quoting Karl Kraus

Just a small note, those names are still used by the speakers of the German language.

For example, if you go to the city website for Wroclaw and click of the link for German speakers, you will see if reffered to both Wroclaw and Breslau.

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I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

Even today there are still some backward countries that still have Kings and Queens in place ... can you believe that?!

Hihi
The one you're hinting at is actually a prime example of the madness of having a monarchy. The 2nd in the dynasty was a genocidal maniac, the 4th was a nazi collaborator, the 5th a religious nut that hampered parliamental proceedings in an unprecedented authoritarian fashion, the 6th, well, all I'll say is that if he were not of the dynasty, he would be serving life in prison. And the upcoming one has the IQ of a lobotomized afterbirth.
Would you run a company on a hereditary basis? In fact, would you run anything at all on that basis ? But for a head of state it makes sense ? LOL.

Sorry, but I must have missed the hint. Which family are you talking about?

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I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

Interesting question.

In Austria the official handling is to use the names in the language of the country they are in. At least when it comes to those that have been part of the monarchy.

That means you read on Austrian road signs: Brno, Praha, Bratislava,Lubliana, Maribor.

But of course the names Brünn, Prag, Preßburg, Laibach and Marburg are pretty common as well.

Lets take the example of Brünn. It was a through and trhough German speaking Austrian city, in the vicinity of the capital Vienna (even though already surounded by a Czech speaking countryside). But after the Brünner deathmarch, it isnt anymore. It simple like that. Brünn is today Brno. One should not have hard feelings about that, after all we can not blame anyone but ourselves for that. One should not try to conquer the world and ethnic cleanse it for more Lebensraum... or at least one should not wonder when the consequence of a failed attempt of this is stuff like the Brünner death march.


Some cities like for example Sibiu voluntarely choose to still call itself names like Hermannsstadt. And in the case of Sibiu/Hermansstadt (in case you dont know, its a major center for culture in Romania nowadays) they have found a rich treasure of culture by preserving the German and and Hungarian influence. And they profitate from it as well, as its this year European Cultural capital beneath Luxembourg.

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"Der echte Wiener ist aus Schleim gemeisselt"
Christoph Waltz quoting Karl Kraus

I am sorry, but I just cannot agree with you. Such a judgement reeks of collective guilt. I find it a bit hypocritical of the allied powers to condem Germany's leaders for the crimes they committed and then turn around and do the same thing. At the most, the private property that the Germans seized during the course of the war (Polish, Czech, etc...) should have been returned. However, the private property of Germans from before the war should have been left alone. That includes Germans from Germany proper (1937 borders), Sudeten Germans, Austrian Germans, and those from the Polish territories.

Though, this really has nothing to do with the topic of this thread. It would make for an interesting new thread. I think I will create it.....

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I am a liberal, a classical liberal. Classical liberalism is liberalism, but the current collectivists have captured that designation in the United States. In Europe they are glad enough to call themselves socialists. But no one in America wants to be called socialist and admit what they are.

Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, Perseverance

This is actually a question that could be answered by an essay. Since it is off topic for this thread, I will try to keep my answer short.

There are many reasons for having a monarchy.

1. It is tradition, there is no reason to change it. - This is an reason stated very often. Though I agree with this statement, for instance when it comes to my own home country, it is a weak statement. It does not say why monarchy is good. Conservatism is about preserving good ideas, not just about preserving ideas.

2. The King is a nice fellow. - Sure he is, and this makes it harder for republicans to convince monarchists in countries such as Sweden. However, it is an equally bad reason in favour of monarchy as saying that "the president is a nice fellow" is a reason to keep a republican form of government.

3. The King stands above partisan politics and is a uniting figure for the whole country. - This is a good reason for a monarchy. The King is the highest representative for the country. In a monarchy, we can never have such a split of the population over the Head of State as for instance the USA after the 2000 presidential election.

4. Private rights are better than collective rights. - A country is a legal person, like corporations, clubs et cetera. The citizens are customers of the services provided by the government for the tax payments. The nature of a monarchy is that it is "owned" by the monarch, while the republic is "owned" by the people as a collective. I am rather a consumer of the services offered by a private country than the services offered by a cooperative country. In a republic, I would be a part owner of the country, but why would I want to be?

5. The republic is a socialistic concept. - Collective rights are always socialistic.

6. The republic is a radical concept. - Remember that not a single monarchy has turned into a republic without some kind of radical armed revolution or coup d'etat, or in some instances a devastating war, as the main reason. No monarchy has ever been peacefully voted away by the people.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

I started a thread on this issue here:
Possible advantages of (constitutional) monarchies over Republics

I commented your post there.

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"Der echte Wiener ist aus Schleim gemeisselt"
Christoph Waltz quoting Karl Kraus

Let us return to what this thread is here for.

I found this nice map of the wester claims of Connecticut on Wikipedia:



If you wish to talk about old US States' empires, this is about the closest you get.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

Connecticut should never have given up the claim. Perhaps an invasion of Ohio is in order.

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My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.

"Sir Galahad," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1834)

You gotta give those Mongols credit for controlling the largest contiguous land empire in history (the British empire was larger, but fragmented).

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There you are!

Here is an interesting map on the same theme as the last one I posted:

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

hehe, good to see much more maps... In China in my bedroom, i bought a huge world map in chinese/english, the map is funny for me because it is the first time i see a world map centered on China And Taiwan has the same color as China

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