Ok Cllr here goes, Just took an innocent cycle trip and came away w/a different perspective as a result. Obviously, you don't get the entire cultural/political range in 2 mos. and you are right, I 'am' offering an opinion. Don't have to 'read up' on a given situation to have an instinct for what's right and wrong. If living as a 'subject' is such a wonderful thing why has virtually every separate geographical/cultural/racial entity the crown 'colonized' over the 300 or so years of expansionism(not to excuse we Yanks in the american west) at one point or another and through various means, declared independence? Certainly, during the 18th and 19th centuries there were substantial advantages to being a crown subject, but ultimately the benefits, especially the economic ones went to the crown itself and as a result perpetuated the "divine rights of kings" theory under which, if you penetrate the ideology deep enough, is at the core of why the monarchy exists to begin with. Even the Magna Carta was an agreement among equals of advantage and had nothing to do with the rights of serfs whatever. They 'had' no rights except that which their feudal lord saw fit to give them. Again, I want to be very clear that none of these offerings are made while excusing our own expansionism on this side o' the pond. You asked me to stake a position and back up my opinion and I'm attempting to do that. Most Yanks fly into Heathrow, spend a week in London, see the postcard sites, take a few snaps and say they've been to Jolly Old England. The same applies to Ireland, except they all flock down to Cork for the Blarney Stone kiss. It's all sizzle and no steak for the average Yank and they(we)'re ok with that for the most part. It took me a year to put myself in a position to be able to spend 2 mos. on a bicycle in the Isles, precisely because I wanted an understanding of my own cultural heritage and one doesn't get that from a tour bus or a car window. Things unfold at a much slower pace from the seat of a push-bike. I don't want to give the impression that I feel I should be cannonized for it, but I 'did' want a deeper experience. The statement about the crown 'abolished' was, probably not the best word...I think dismantled would be better suited to say what I mean. The Monarchy in terms of any real power has been useless for decades and other than a figurehead for formal situations or being representative to the greater world of being 'British' what purpose does it serve? I'm not being critical of the Royals themselves, I'm sure that they're muddling about this strange planetary existence like the rest of us, but are you sure you want to continue to support this antiquated institution with your hardearned tax dollars? If it benefits England economically to keep it around by all means do so, but don't expect any freethinking(or freedom thinking)people to want to continue active participation in the charade(beyond coming by for a visit and a few snaps). Again, a united Ireland, independent Scotland and Wales, dissolution of the crown are events, clearly in the not too distant future and inevitable as the economic mode of exchange shifts from a material to an electronic powerbase. True power lies in liquidity of assets and from what I saw Ireland, though way behind militarily is ahead of the crown in terms of the 'cyber' mode. And that is what is going to determine who has the 'power' in the future. It's like the difference between East and West Germany before the wall came down. There's going to be rabble rousers, pragmatists, cowards and opportunists of varying degrees in the decades to come as this inevitability transpires. It is and will continue to be a painstaking process to be sure and I think it may be as simple as the Celts finally having had enough of the Saxons telling them when and where they could make their whiskey. In their own quiet way I think the Welsh have made the great strides by making their language mandatory in practical matters. They've made it more difficult to do business there unless you speak welsh, especially in the north. While it's one thing thing to wave the red dragon flag or wear a t-shirt that says 'Tan o Cymru!' in bold red letters, it's quite another to make your oppressors bend to doing business on your terms. Didn't mean for this to go on for so long it's just that this is the first time I've really sat and thought through my reasons for having the perspectives I do. Thanks alot Cllr, I appreciate the 'call out'.