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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2007-10 > 1191603322


From: Breton <>
Subject: Re: Diana, Princess Of Wales & Continuing Mindless Celebrity Worship
Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:55:22 -0700
References: <EQ7Ni.254$6q5.1043@eagle.america.net><1191595135.457050.311400@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>
In-Reply-To: <1191595135.457050.311400@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>


On Oct 5, 10:38 am, Citizen Jimserac <> wrote:

> "Diana represented a historical nexus, no matter
> if by intent or by the accident of history, a crossroads between
> a future in which the monarchy in England gradually diminishes
> to nothing (as happened in France) and a future in which the monarchy
> takes a more active role in society and politics with significant
> contributions (such as happened a decade ago in the former
> country of Yugoslavia where the royal house took an active
> part in the opposition and removal of the scum Slobodan Milosevich. "

The inference you are making is that if the British Monarchy declines,
it's because the RF failed to listen to Diana; and if the British
Monarchy strengthens, it's because Diana helped it to do so.

Contrary to your beliefs, the RF will survive as long as public
opinion in the UK and the other Realms permits it to do so. In the 10
years since Diana died, there has been an overall increase in the
popularity and acceptance of the Monarchy and the RF. It's true that
the old deference is either not there or has diminished; but as many
writers have noted this started in the 60's and 70's.

People don't form opinions about the activities of the RF based on
what former or deceased members of the RF said or did They base those
views on what the living members say or do.

> "There are those, particularly the news media, who expend
> ENORMOUS effort focusing on her dresses, her affairs, her divorce,
> her psychological difficulties but they are united in expending
> effort in AVOIDING any discussion of her politics.

The emphasis on dresses, affairs, divorce etc. is there because of
PUBLIC DEMAND. The media would not publish so much of it if the demand
declined. As to her politics, she had none. "Thick as a plank, that's
me" she once said.

> any discussion of her socio-political significance
> precisely because the common people began to
> appreciate the openness and sincerity of Diana in
> contrast to the stultifying silence of wooden heads
> like Prince Phillip and the rest of them. "

Again, this vast overgeneralization and stereotyping grossly dumbs
down a complex family and Diana's involvement in it

> And THIS from 2004:
>
> "In answer to the question raised by an earlier respondent as to who
> would
> want to remember Diana, the answer is everyone who understands the
> significance of her philosophy and the courageous political positions
> that she represented."

Diana had no political positions. Her philosophy was to marry a prince
and have children. Later, it morphed into celebrity, hair, frocks, and
what have you.

> "The emergence of several modern technologies, not the least of which
> is the
> Internet, spell doom for the traditional nation states whose wars and
> diminution of the importance of the individual are characteristic of
> the
> historical era that is now coming to a close."

I assume you are claiming here that Diana invented the Internet?

> "Diana became a historical focal point for the emergent re-unification
> of
> popular conceptions of royalty in which a bond existed between the
> subjects and the royals and in which she became a proponent of various
> social
> causes which, especially in the case of the land mine issue, placed
> her not only
> in complete opposition to the about to be extinct forces of
> politically
> conservative orthodoxy, but also made her become a historical nexus
> for
> various modern political trends and this last must have been very very
> threatening to those political atavists who were already aware that
> the
> cozy world of 1840 or even 1940 was no longer possible."

Stupifyingly inaccurate, unless you are Catholic and want the Pope to
elevate her to sainthood.

>
> "The news media, along with the atavists (a word which is used here to
> signify the dodo birds whoose influence
> still extends throughout the kingdom) soon made an alliance of
> circumstance in which every opportunity was made to portray Diana as a
> frail, possibly unstable, and therefore completely intellectually
> unimportant person
> while they emphasized her travels, penchant for expensive clothes and
> made
> other emphasis on entirely irrelevant aspects of her life."

You could add: "They were helped by Diana herself, who saw no
incongruity between comforting homeless people one evening and jetting
off the next day with the latest boyfriend, dressed in her expensive
clothes and focussing on other irrelevant aspects of her life she
obviously thought were very important."

Breton

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