Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Quote Of The Day

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death."

-Albert Einstein

Monday, May 9, 2011

DEBATE: Has Prince William's recent visit to Australia pushed the Republican movement back in Australia?

Ding! Ding! It's round two for GOAS debates and writers Stephen Davis and Seamus McCarthy have stepped up to the challenge. This debate revolves around Prince William's recent visit to flood damaged Queensland and Victoria and who was greeted with open arms, much to the disgust of republicans.

Recent polls indicated a slump in those pro-republic, the lowest in 17 years. The poll, run by The Australian newspaper, was taken shortly after William's marriage to Catherine, indicating that many Australian's still want a link to Mother England.

NEGATIVE: Stephen Davies

Prince William visiting Australia doesn't set the Republican movement back in the same way that finding you have a cough doesn't harm your local pharmacy. William's visit makes the monarchy more visible. Monarchists would think that's a good thing, but what it does is actually remind Australia that they're still around. Noticing the monarchy for more than a second serves largely to highlight for us what a ridiculously anachronistic, irrelevant and stagnant institution it really is. Even if it is being represented by it's most likable member.

William is like the nice, friendly, colourful picture on the biscuit lid that masks the fact that when you open the tin it's full of spiders and cobwebs. Someone who only turns up during disasters - we're talking here about the recent floods in Queensland and Victoria, and the catastrophic earthquakes in Christchurch - is unlikely to be that warmly received after a while. 'Oh great, the Prince of Doom is here, this must have been a lot worse than we thought.' In New Zealand, where they're proudly British and monarchist, William's visit is exciting. Here, it's more like another prat with a camera crew coming to pick through the rubble while you dry out your house.

Fresh-faced saviour of the monarchy though he might have once been, young William's not looking so hot any more. Even the excitement of his impending nuptials can't quite mask the fact that what at fourteen was heartthrob material is now rapidly metamorphosing into Prince Phillip. Kate Middleton might give them a bit more life, like a vampire after a nice suck on a virgin, but only for a while. She is, as the British press keep saying, the new Diana. Which is ironic, as it's because of the British press that we need a new Diana in the first place. Spare a thought for her ‘fairy-tale wedding’ - marrying the remnants of the handsome prince, only to spend each night in bed with the frog looming over her.

William visiting us is nice. It's also the absolute least someone who considered himself the future king of this part of the world could do. But all of it camouflages the real truth - that if he were a genuinely Australian head of state he wouldn't need to travel from the other side of the world to see us when shit hit the fan. He'd already be here.

Stephen Davies is an editor and writer based in Melbourne. You can read his blog here and follow him on Twitter at @stephendevice

AFFIRMATIVE: Seamus McCarthy

Hmmm. How to write an opinion on something you generally don’t have an interest in having an opinion on?


But here goes. William’s trip to the disaster struck Australia was two-pronged. Firstly, he was a Royal dignitary sent to cheer up the colonies and let them know that the Motherland is thinking of them.

Secondly, it was a promotional gig for the then upcoming wedding; otherwise, it would have been Harry or Larry or Mo who visited. He was the teaser-trailer the Royal wedding.

But why? In short- survival by popularity on the part of the Royals. Just like Bodicea, 1066ad, William Shakespeare, the industrial revolution, the Battle of Britain and the Wombles... I mean, the Royals, all these things create a sense of identity for the people of Britain.

In turn, Australia has Matthew Flinders, the establishing of Van Diemen’s Land, ANZAC, post World War 2 immigration, and, of course, Paul Hogan and thongs. But of all the things that make up who you are as a nation the one thing you can’t deny is where you came from, no matter how much you don’t like it. This is why Australia has not become a Republic thus far, because the “Old hat” generations cling to tradition for the sense of belonging with something older, something greater.

When the Royals clearly realised they no longer lived in the old Monarchy world they changed, but they did not change on a whim. This was calculated. Assessed and reassessed; tailored to the people for their own survival benefits. It all began with allowing the public access to Buckingham palace and Windsor (granted, due to finance issues) which gave people the perceived sense of being part of something greater. Citizens from nations all over the world flocked to the gates of the palaces and handed over their hard earned Yen to see this other world. Then came the marriage of Charles and Camilla and finally the two Princes became men greatly scrutinised. And the truth is people welcomed this new Monarchy back with open arms because it symbolises such a sense of identity to them. What has this got to do with Australia? Exactly that- a sense of identity. People want it; people need it to feel part of something.

So, cutting to the chase if it were down to the few to decide if we become a republic or not, we probably would. As long as, however, it is left up to the people at the ballot box (as it should be), I think the Prince’s visit and the 7 million televisions he left tuned into his wedding after leaving Australia, will surely win over the emotional hearts of the people... the voters... the reader of Who and Woman’s Weekly... the true deciders of the Peoples Republic of Australia.

Seamus is a Melbourne based writer who in his native country of Ireland won several short story competitions and had his first children's book, "Where in the Alphabet is Ethan Echidna" published by Brolga in 2010. You can read Seamus' up-coming blog here

What do you think folks? Are you pro-Republic or would you be quite happy to stay under the Monarchy?

Are you a writer who would be interested in taking part in a debate? If so, email your interest to g_o_a_s@hotmail.com