“Oh God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams”
I’ve really grown fond of this website, The Mad Monarchist
I don’t agree with all of the guy’s opinions(although I do most of them,) however the site is a treasure trove of detailed information and insight on current and defunct monarchies of the world. Aesthetically, monarchy has always been my preferred form of government. In fact, I’ve often (half- jokingly) maintained that I’m still loyal to the king, and have frequently questioned whether the colonies should have ever revolted. Maybe I played too many Super Nintendo RPGs as a kid,(and as an adult) but I don’t see how one could make it through an entire game of Chrono Trigger and conclude that a character like King Guardia XXI would have been any worse or less corrupt of a leader than most of the democratically elected, popularity contest winners of the 21st century.
Whether we choose them or not, you get good leaders and you get bad leaders. Sometimes you get a Dwight Eisenhower or Calvin Coolidge. Once in a while you have to suffer through a Jimmy Carter or GWB. So it goes with kings and emperors. Sometimes you get a Tiberius, and sometimes you get a Caligula. Democracy can only be as competent as the quality of the current state of “groupthink” that propels the majority’s decisions. Time and time again majority opinion has been proven to be misinformed and has led us into more predicaments than it has navigated us out of. We’ve all seen the brutality and heavy handedness that military dictatorships can unleash upon a country. Military leaders often have charisma though, and can manage a country well if they are just. If you had to have one though, it would be hard to find more suitable brass then General Leo from Final Fantasy III/VI, a genuinely humble and charismatic figure. Like many heroes of made of a similar ilk ilk though, he left us too soon.
“I knew you were being used as some sort of biological weapon. And because I didn’t do anything about it, I’m no better than Kefka.” —Leo to Terra Branford
Anyway, one thing I love about monarchy is that it takes almost all the cheesy corporate sloganeering and endless campaigning out of government and(in a good age) restores a tasteful dignity and sense of inspiration to the people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiB0KvMFP14