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To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (2051)	11/3/2002 10:45:39 PM
From: frankw1900	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6901

HRH's real power: She, or her representative, asks someone to form the government (how important this is is clear when there is no parliamentary majority). She, or her representative, is the head of state. Her assent is required before bills become law. She is not a ruler, and therefore modern, even though her position is hereditary. Her true function is to resolve crises - that's what constitutional monarchies are for. The last times this happened were in Spain and Thailand. The rulers in Qatar and Bahrein are moving in this direction. They are attempting to become non rulers and modern countries should support their efforts. The royals in Nepal are trying to go this way as well. The US Constitution is partly an effort to avoid having a head of state who inherits the position. Like Great Britain, US is thoroughly modern in that it avoids having a ruler at all. (Hawkmoon entertains the idea that some member of the Hashemite family might be put on a throne in Iraq and then move the country in this modern direction. The flaw in this idea is that monarchies have to be around a while before they can have legitimacy in the eyes of the people. There's not time for that in Iraq and its history doesn't have many parallels with that of Thailand or Europe. Its quite likely that the Iraqi folk after the Saddam experience would rather not have a ruler and move directly to a modern state - that's what the opposition, both inside and outside the country, say and they should know.)