Editor:
“Canada should rid itself of these foreign imperialistic trappings and remnants of historical subjugation” (Letters, Coast Reporter May 30).
A comment on the recent brief visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to Ottawa. I worked in around 45 countries over many decades. Countries that rid themselves of their royals and/or their imperialistic colonisers. So, what were the results? Russia got rid of the Tzar and finished up with Putin. Iran got rid of the Shah and, since ‘79, have had the Ayatollahs. The whole of the Indian SC, the Levant and Maghreb kicked out their colonisers. How have the general public benefitted from these constitutional changes? Get rid of one set of rulers / figureheads and another moves neatly into the void. Following the First Gulf War, I, working for a Canadian company, was allowed back into Iran. U.S. companies were not as “The USA is The Great Satan.” My first port of call should have been Tehran but was in fact Washington, D.C. At a national and company level nothing could be done to compromise our biggest export market. Of course, having the Royals as head of state is an anachronism however it’s really just show biz folks. What would be the real costs and consequences of replacing the royals with a presidential system? Sometimes better the devil you know.
Paul Rhodes
West Sechelt
