The Monday Mix (12/09/2022)
Hi friends,
It’s been a surreal week here in the UK after the news that Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday. If you’re not from the UK or haven’t lived here it’s hard to put into words what this moment means because it probably doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to non-British folks. In some respects, it’s not as the Queen was 96, but it’s what her death means symbolically that’s important.
The majority of people in the UK have only known one monarch. She became Queen in 1952, which means she was Queen before my parents were born and they’re both in their 60s. So, unless you’re over 70, you’ve never experienced the changing of a monarch. In many ways, the Queen was the monarchy. I’m a Republican by instinct, but the Queen was the perfect representative of the monarchy and her passing will leave a void that will be hard to fill. It’s been a tumultuous few years here but one thing most people would agree on is respect for the Queen. Now that she’s gone I feel a country that was already losing its sense of itself will continue to do so.
I want to write about this during the week as it’s one of the biggest events in recent UK history and it’s hard to say how it will pan out here and in other countries where the monarch is the head of state. Even though I’m intellectually opposed to the monarchy, I’m looking forward to the coronation of King Charles III, which will probably take place next year. This is an event I’ve always been curious about and to see it live will be intriguing. Let’s just hope he fares better than the first King Charles who was deposed in a revolution and suffered the ignominy of being executed!!
I did write one post last week on a few books that make you think. So be sure to check that out on Medium and give it some claps if you have an account.
Here’s what I want to share this week:
What kind of King will Charles III be?
This is an interesting piece from 2014, which seems like a different world now, about how Charles might approach being King. The article looks at some of his passions and letters to ministers that have gotten him into trouble over the years. The truth is, we’re going to find out what type of King he is in the coming months and years. In reality, it shouldn’t make much difference as the monarch is supposed to be neutral and above politics. However, if Charles does meddle in constitutional affairs, then Brexit might look like a small issue in comparison such would be the crisis his meddling would cause.
What will Russia’s losses mean for Putin?
The war in Ukraine has now been raging for six months and over the weekend the Ukrainians have started to push the Russians back, with reports that they reclaimed areas all the way up to the border in Kharkiv. This is fantastic news and makes a mockery of all those who said arming Ukraine was folly. Now, the question turns to what this means for Putin. Authoritarian leaders project a strong image but the reality is, once that image starts to crumble they start to lose authority. His close circle will only tolerate him up to a point and if these losses turn into a complete collapse, which is not out of the question, it could be Putin himself who becomes familiar with those famous deadly Russian windows.
It should also be noted that other humiliating Russian military defeats in 1905 and 1917, resulted in the establishment of the Duma and the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II respectively. History might repeat itself in 2022.
Saving Video Games From Oblivion
It’s easy to laugh when people consider video games to be a part of the cultural fabric, but in many respects they are. I grew up playing Pokemon on my Game Boy and Super Mario on my Nintendo 64. I spent wayyy too much time playing these games as a kid but when you’re 10, these games are fascinating. I still have all the old consoles and games and play them from time to time. So it was nice to read this article about people going to great lengths to preserve these consoles and games. They might not be the Mona Lisa or the Eiffel Tower but they’re still important cultural assets and should be seen as such.
Book I’m reading - Athelstan by Tom Holland
I recently discovered the Penguin Monarchs series, which is a biography of every King and Queen of England from 939 to the present day. The first one, Athelstan, who I hadn’t heard of until discovering this series, arrived last week in eerie timing given recent events. So far, it’s a fascinating read and I’m learning a lot about a period we were never taught in school.
Quote I’m pondering: “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie
That’s all for this week.
Until next time,
Tom