THE QUESTION

On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to America: Should the monarchy be abolished in Britain? Or should other nations have kings and queens so they can stop worshiping movie stars?

Posted by David Ignatius on May 7, 2007 10:05 AM

FROM THE PANEL

Miriam Leitao is a reporter and columnist for O Globo and Radio CBN in Brazil. She is also a commentator on Globo TV Network and runs her own blog, www.miriamleitao.com, hosted at Globo online at www.oglobo.com.br. She was awarded Columbia University’s Maria Moors Cabot Prize in 2005.

No More Fairy Tales for Brazil

Brazil's unique history, with its golden era begun under a fourteen-year-old monarch, has taught us that monarchies can be good leaders. More recent years under "republican" dictatorships have taught us the alternative is not always more democratic. But Brazil's past reminds us we do not believe in fairy tales; kings were real, but they belong in history.

Miriam Leitao Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 19 COMMENTS
May 8, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Bill Emmott is the former editor of The Economist magazine, a leading international current affairs publication from England. He is now an independent writer, speaker, and consultant on international affairs.

An Englishman Says Abolish Monarchy

As an Englishman, I feel a need to respond to the accusation that we are all twits who dote on the monarchy. It is an anachronism from a past age of deference. But Brits are largely indifferent to the monarchy, prefer to keep it around as they would keep a nice old building rather than see it demolished.

Bill Emmott Great Britain | 65 COMMENTS
May 8, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals.

Nostalgia for Swords and Heroes

I am not a fan of hereditary rule. But I can understand why Brits hold on to their queen. Even citizens of former British colonies like my country, Somaliland, cling to their royal memorabilia. In our modern era it can be hard to find heroes, and the crown represents a lasting badge of Britishness in a sea of globalization.

Bashir Goth Somalia/UAE | 35 COMMENTS
May 8, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist. He was born in Jerusalem in 1955. Presently he is a visiting professor at Princeton University in the United States. Mr. Kuttab is the former director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah, Palestine and the founder of AmmanNet, the Arab world's first internet radio station. His personal web page is www.daoudkuttab.com

Kingdoms More Stable Than Republics

With the way the Arab world has gone, a stable, serious and relatively open monarchy is more favorable than a supposed republic. Powerful positions are granted to leaders' sons in Syria, Egypt and Libya while the Kingdoms of Jordan, Bahrain and Morocco enjoy the most serious democratization in the region.

Daoud Kuttab Princeton, NJ | 651 COMMENTS
May 8, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Lamis Andoni is a Middle East consultant for Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news station. She has been covering the Middle East for 20 years. She has reported for the Christian Science Monitor, the Financial Times and the main newspapers in Jordan. She was a professor at the Graduate School in UC Berkeley.

Hollywood & Royalty: False Heroes

The problem in the Arab world is not the continuation of monarchy itself, but the fact that revolutionary ideas have turned into repressive hereditary regimes. The weakening of democratic institutions in the West, and their unhealthy fascination with celebrity, have had consequences around the world.

Lamis Andoni Doha, Qatar | 21 COMMENTS
May 7, 2007 at 10:01 AM
Miklós Vámos is a Hungarian novelist, screenwriter and talk show host. He is one of the most read and respected writers in his native Hungary. He has taught at Yale University on a Fulbright fellowship, served as The Nation’s East European correspondent, worked as consultant on the Oscar-winning film Mephisto, and presented Hungary’s most-watched cultural television show. Vámos has received numerous awards for his plays, screenplays, novels and short stories, including the Hungarian Merit Award for lifetime achievement. The Book of Fathers is considered his most accomplished novel and has sold 200,000 copies in Hungary.

A Queen’s Motherly Compassion

History is packed with nations that have shifted from kingdom to republic, with only a few examples of countries moving in the other direction. But why not? A queen could instill a mother's compassion into the male rivalry of partisan politics -- and it might be fun.

Miklos Vamos Budapest, Hungary | 1 COMMENTS
May 7, 2007 at 9:59 AM

READER RESPONSE

» Jag Rae | Hollywood stars operate in a fiercely competitive market. People have the option to accept or reject them. Monarchy on the other hand is based on in...
» MikeB | Only English twits would honor this litter of wealthy inbred slackers. The Nglish apparently dote on every doing the swine that steal from them. Not a...
» Arthur | What we Americans should do is abolish the Presidency! It is an out-moded institution that concentrates too much power in one person's hands. The pres...
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