Citizen, subject, it's all the same. If you ask Google about eminent domain, you'll find it active in the USA, with private property confiscated for Crown requirements. Sure, they don't actually use the word "Crown", but when you have your property taken against your will, it doesn't make much difference whether it's done by "The Crown" or "Eminent Domain", or some other government agency on behalf of private interests - heck, they don't do that in NZ. In the USA they take land and house from somebody and hand it over to mall developers as that's better value for the community. I don't think that has been done in New Zealand.
There were a few instances where Maori land was taken for public works and then given to private interests. For example a golf club was allowed to use land in Raglan, which had been taken for WWII purposes, and was later returned to Maori possession when they objected to that process. Note that it was in fact returned.
When a British Subject was conscripted and killed in action, they were not any more dead than Vietnam war conscripts who were killed in action. Cassius Clay was imprisoned for daring to object to the attack on Vietnamese. It's pedantic and academic to say "lucky he was a citizen and not a subject".
Being King or Queen by birth has got some things going for it. I used to be opposed to that idea, which seemed absurd. Now, with age and sense I can see some value in it. There isn't a lot of leadership required. They just have to be the boss if push comes to shove in a dead heat election or in the case of some politician getting above their station.
King George II is not far from having a hereditary claim to the Presidency - it was an extreme coincidence that the son of the previous president just happened to be the best candidate out of 300 million people. It seems that Americans have a proclivity towards Kingdom after all. Hillary came close to inheriting Bill's mantle.
The USA keeps possession of their serfs even better than do many other countries which don't require them to always pay taxes, report back to HQ etc.
Mqurice |
