Long gone are the days when the stars of Western rock n roll
were perceived as the bastion of anti-establishment attitudes and politics –
these days it seems to be very fashionable for ‘radicals’ to get down on their
knees, and pledge their allegiance to the authorities in return for privileges
and honours.
The millionaire lead singer of the Irish band U2, who is forever
fighting against poverty in the Third World, was said to be ‘flattered’ at
being offered a knighthood by the British Prime Minister. Bono, who seemingly
cannot stop himself from speaking on behalf of some 900 million Africans (even
though no one asked him to), thinks it’s perfectly fine to spend a small
fortune on lawyers all for the sake of one stupid cowboy hat.
To me, the
hounors system, the Monarchy, and the House of Lords represents everything that
is wrong in British society. Together, they represent what the revolutionary
Tom Paine once referred to as 'the remains of aristocratical tyranny'. Over 200
years later, that tyranny is still a forceful kick in the teeth to the idea of
a popular and meritocratic democracy
