“All the democracies are bankrupt now”
In an informal, but recorded chat with President Reagan aboard the royal yacht Britannia off the coast of Florida in 1991, Queen Elizabeth II said something intriguing. Responding to Reagan’s expressed desire to cut costs and scale back government, Her Majesty replied, “Well, you see, all the democracies are bankrupt now”.
That was a surprisingly opinionated socio-economic commentary for an old lady some would have us believe is out of touch with the modern world. And starting a sentence with “Well, you see” when addressing the 40th President of the United States of America seems patronizing as, indeed, does her tone throughout the entire filmed discussion. At least to our ears it does.
We thought the discussion warranted a mention in our book THE ORPHAN CONSPIRACIES: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy.
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
Immediately after informing Reagan that “all the democracies are bankrupt now,” Her Majesty added, “because of the way the services are being planned for people to grab”.
The Queen and President Reagan…like minds apparently.
In the footage, Reagan can be seen nodding enthusiastically. No doubt he’d found a like mind in the Queen as he was notorious for keeping a tight reign on America’s purse strings during his time in office, especially with respect to social services.
Reagan’s political stance during his two terms in office had been mirrored on the other side of the Atlantic, in Britain, where British PM Margaret Thatcher drastically slashed public services and welfare for the poor.
It’s not too much of an assumption to believe the Queen’s opinions on the dangers of providing people with welfare services stems from Britain’s ugly class system. A system which for centuries dictated that the elite – including and especially the Royals – were entitled to almost everything and the commoners and the poor were left with scraps.
Judging by her comments, the Queen did not – and perhaps to this day does not – understand that welfare keeps millions afloat. It was, and is, the compassionate lifeline that civilized societies provide to assist those in genuine need. Yes, abuse of social welfare is rife, but the politics known as Thatcherism and Reaganism were not called brutal without reason.
Such comments about the lower classes by the Queen are not a one-off when it comes to the Windsors. In fact, they have sadly been echoed numerous times by the likes of the Queen’s husband Prince Philip and their son and first in line to the throne, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.
The welfare benefits the Queen spoke so disparagingly of to President Reagan don’t seem to include those received a little closer to home. For the fact is, the Windsors receive their own form of welfare. It’s known as the Sovereign Grant and is paid for by the British Government.
That’s right. The Windsors’ lavish lifestyle is paid for by the British people!
However, the Government prefers to use the term “paid for by Parliament” rather than explicitly pointing out that taxpayers are the ones who foot the bill.
Some may suggest Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family are the biggest welfare beneficiaries of all – and it could be argued they have a point, especially when you consider the many millions they (the Royals) receive in annual handouts. But more about that in our next post.
Read more in The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy – available now via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orphan-Conspiracies-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B00J4MPFT6/
A book that’s for the common people…the 99%.
******************************************************
Morcan Books & Films 