On the death of Elizabeth Windsor

 I don’t normally post about British politics, but here goes. 

I see a slight contradiction in liberal takes on the death of Elizabeth Windsor.

“We have to respect the mourning of the family, we are all human beings.”

OK, but human beings die every day. Some of old age, some while waiting for treatment due to the massive NHS waiting lists, some die trying to cross racist borders, others die as a result of the exploitation that created the massive wealth of the Windsor family, among (some) others (the 0.01%?).

So why is the TV full of this death? Why are trade union leaders (shamefully) calling off strikes against pay cuts that will lead to massive suffering amongst other human beings, as they themselves were pointing out so powerfully only days ago?

Because at the same time as they tell us “we are all human beings, we are all the same really”, the whole set-up around the monarchy and this death is really about saying that some are superior to others. In this case, just for having been born into that family.

So abolish the monarchy (in Britain, in the Spanish state...) and I will respect individual grieving, as such. 

But the massive propaganda campaign now under way makes it totally clear that this is not at all about individual grieving. 

This is about covering up --even justifying-- the reality of imperialism, racism and exploitation that are central to the “royal family”. As Lowkey commented on Twitter: “she was 31 when her military had 1.5 million people in a network of concentration camps in Kenya” (photos).

All this is about reinforcing the system that is leading us to disaster. If we are against war, against climate disaster, against racism, against people being evicted for poverty, against poor people being unable to heat their homes in the winter... then we must be against everything this hypocritical royalty show really represents. 

So decide, take sides. 

But if you go with those in power, don’t pretend that it’s all about one old person that just died. Don’t pretend it’s about humanity. 

Human values and caring about people are on the other side, with those denouncing the British empire that Elizabeth Windsor was part of.