The Monarchy and "Soft Power"
Charles III and the Rebooting of Britain's "Soft Power"
Derry, Northern Ireland
Baroness Sandip Verma, writing in PoliticsHome in May of her visit to India with the India (Trade and Investment) All-Party Parliamentary Group, says that the delegation were "reminded regularly during the visit of the value and importance of face-to-face engagement." She said at every opportunity they were reminded that "Great Britain remained an important partner and friend to India." She then throws in the caveat, "However, it was noted that our soft power -- once the envy of the world -- needs a reboot in response to the shifting global dynamics of emerging nations such as India."[1]
Baroness Verma reflects on how she alleges the coronation of King Charles III "was a great opportunity to showcase the very best of what we have to offer the world and yet there are so many gems that remain hidden." She draws the conclusion, "Our new monarch provides us with an opportunity to establish stronger and outward-reaching connections through unique institutions like the Commonwealth, showing current and future generations the strength of shared common values and causes." She ends by "raising a toast to a brighter and stronger future for Great Britain's place in the world and how we ensure we play our part in that future."
In seeking to define King Charles' constitutional role as sovereign and his symbolic function as representative of the state in this way Charles III is willy nilly being drawn into global political matters, that are far from symbolic and neutral. He is seen to be stepping beyond his allegedly symbolic role.
The term "soft power" purposely
connotes a benign and innocuous influence to hide a more
sinister and dangerous political motive. But the "soft power" of
Britain is far from benign, involving use of the political
police to carry out subversive operations such as the so-called
"colour revolutions." It is utilized with the aim of bringing
about regime change whenever the likes of the U.S., Britain and
their allies decide this is required to uphold their "civilized
values" and "shared common values and causes" of which Baroness
Verma is apparently so fond.
An argument is being given that, far from being above politics, the monarch should be in the fray, acting more like the heads of state of the U.S., France and other countries who are the key spokespersons for the war industry in their own countries and on behalf of the U.S./NATO alliance of which they are members. Charles himself is behaving as though he comprises a faction based on his own vested interests, which are considerable, vying for power and influence. Under the reign of Charles III any illusions about the role of the constitutional monarch being symbolic are due to be shattered.
In Britain's constitutional monarchy there exists a convention that the sovereign maintains strict political neutrality. This is nothing but a fiction of the Fictional Person of State as contradicted by the actual reality of the factional exercise of "soft power," which goes hand in hand with the "hard power" of military might and aggression.
King Charles III is indeed in the fray of promoting this kind of "soft power," under which Britain has in the 21st century alone committed many crimes against humanity. Under the legacy of a "tradition" of monarchy, Britain has used its colonial and imperialist might to maintain its criminal empire. This includes, of course, its heinous role in its "jewel of the crown," India, from which the Indian people themselves are still struggling to break free.
The monarch is in every way a block to the progress of society. For a modern democracy, it is the people who must be empowered, and in this sense replace "soft power" and "hard power" alike with their own decision-making authority.
Note
1. Baroness Sandip K. Verma, is an appointed Conservative member (peer) of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament, and former international development minister. She was born in Amritsar, Punjab.
(Workers' Weekly)
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 6 - June 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530065.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca