- “Constitutional monarchies, like established churches, tend to be theoretically conservative but progressive in practice.” – an interesting, and (to me) surprisingly cogent argument for why monarchies (especially constitutional monarchies) are actually helpful in staving off extremist tendencies in polities.
- On the other hand, recent developments such as US gun control reform demonstrate that Democracy (yes, with a capital D) is still the most robust and responsive of all political systems out there. Anyone (be it religious mullahs, or fascist white nationalists) who tells you that “the common people cannot be trusted to govern themselves” are clearly self-interested wannabe-tyrants that ought to be kept away from polite company.
- Those of us who are less successful in life tend to imagine – as a means for palliative self-soothing – that those at the top are paying a price in terms of psychological stress, broken relationships, etc. “Wrecked by success” is a popular trope, but it seems that it might just simply not be true!
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Nassim Nicholas Taleb had an insightful take on the whole modern monarchy thing:
The main purpose of religion, I wrote in the Incerto, is not to affirm that there is a God, but to prevent humans from thinking they are Gods.
Likewise the purpose of a modern king is not to rule, but to prevent politicians & office climbers from thinking that they are kings.
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1569415194144546818