[Epoch Times, September 16, 2022]Queen Elizabeth II, the descendant of the Windsor dynasty, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on the afternoon of September 8, British time, at the age of 96. The Queen’s passing has deprived our world of a staunch defender and tireless practitioner of tradition and conservatism. The Queen is in charge of the most influential and historically significant royal family in the world. During the seventy years of ups and downs, she has broken through many obstacles and inherited and preserved traditional concepts, etiquette, and rituals. Although the king has returned, the ups and downs of the royal family, the rise and fall of the Windsor Dynasty, and the profound meaning of the constitutional monarchy are still evident. This may have implications for the future of the world and China, or the future of human society. profound enlightenment.
Elizabeth II
Three days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland officially proclaimed King Charles III of England as monarch. The Edinburgh announcement was followed by a gun salute and a military band playing God Save the King. Similar ceremonies were held in Belfast and Cardiff. Similar announcements were held earlier in other Commonwealth territories, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These ceremonies may seem flashy and superficial, but in addition to the symbolic meaning, they have a substantial meaning, which is to maintain the continuity and stability of society, and to ensure the inheritance of history and civilization.
Queen Elizabeth II abide by traditional family ethics during her lifetime. Even if her husband, sons, and grandchildren are disrespectful, ignorant, scandalous, and even scandalous, she is always able to endure humiliation and take care of the overall situation, maintaining the reputation of the royal family. Dignity, graceful appearance, ease of use, and proper handling, without losing due etiquette and the dignity of one’s own personality. She lived with Prince Philip, and experienced the difficult years before and after World War II, as well as the cold and post-Cold War periods. For the continuation of the royal family, free from tradition-breakers, she held on to her post until the very last moment of her life. Even in her later years, in the face of unworthy grandchildren who lead wolves into the house, and the villain who destroys the image of the royal family with hot pants and tight-fitting skirts, smears the halo of the royal family, and slanders the royal family at the same time, she can still speak frankly and maintain it while treating others with kindness. traditional principles.
In her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II received 13 US presidents and 15 British prime ministers, ranking first in the world for the length of her reign. The longest reigning emperor in Chinese history was Aixinjueluo Xuanye, the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Kangxi reigned from 1662 to 1722, but only for 61 years. The prosperous age of Kang and Qian is comparable to the prosperous age of the Tang and Song Dynasties. The contribution of Kangxi, the sage of the Qing Dynasty, to China is self-evident. The Queen has been on the throne for 70 years, but her contribution to the UK and the world has yet to be fully demonstrated. During her tenure, she has never changed her original intentions, and her policy continuity is unparalleled in the world.
Left-wing activists in the world today, when the Queen is gone, clamor to mourn the Queen but not her Empire; they demand a blow to the British monarchy; and they demand a “renewal of the British monarchy.” The tradition, nobility, grace, responsibility, courage, and piety displayed by Queen Elizabeth II are all hated by the dark forces when the devil is ruling the world today. They want a new world order, reorganization, reconstruction, and the radical left. The line of socialism and communism is precisely what she stands for.
royal luxury
The luxury of the Windsor royal family is often criticized by people. Those who advocate the abolition of the royal family often incite people’s jealousy and destroy traditional concepts and rituals by using the royal family to spend too much taxpayer money and out of interest. Is the royal family spending too much money? Actually not, but the beauty and charm of the traditions of the royal family and the traditions displayed have brought endless business opportunities and benefits to the UK. Some people say that “the deceit of the British royal family is unmatched by other royal families in Europe”, which is too harsh.
As early as 1776, when the British social winds changed and the traditional social system was under attack, the royal family took precautions and negotiated an agreement with the Parliament to establish the “Royal Property Agency”, or “The Crown Estate Trust”. The continuation of the monarchy system has an economic guarantee, avoiding the wanton embezzlement of the royal family’s property later. In fact, in China, although the “Preferential Treatment Conditions for the Qing Dynasty” also specified how to protect the royal family, the later Beiyang government, the Nationalist government, and the CCP regime did not follow these treaties, resulting in a fault in Chinese culture.
The British “Royal Property Office” is the mysterious real estate empire behind the British royal family and one of the largest real estate developers in Europe. The ingenious design of it is that although the property under its control is directly related to Queen Elizabeth II. But strictly speaking, these properties do not belong to the Queen or the King of England, nor do they belong to the British government or nationals. Its ownership is complex and a subtle legal setup.
The heart of London’s most luxurious and prosperous West End is Soho and Mayfair. To the west of Mayfair are the famous Hyde Park and Kensington. Palace (Kensington Palace), south of Mayfair (Mayfair), is Green Park and Buckingham Palace (Buckingham Palace); Soho (Soho) to the northeast is the famous British Museum. One of the most famous streets in London, Regent Street (Regent Street), passes through the middle of Soho and Mayfair, and the Royal Property Office owns almost all the real estate of Regent Street; 1.3 kilometers of bustling streets on both sides, full of well-known of shops, bars and restaurants, this is one of London’s most prime locations. Outside London, the Royal Property Office owns properties across the UK, including castles, villas, farmland, forests, as well as business districts and shopping centres. It also owns more than half of the UK’s coastal tidal flats and manages property assets worth over £14 billion.
The unique setting of the “Royal Property Office” is that it “belongs to the ruling monarch”, but it is not the private property of the monarch – the monarch cannot sell it, and its income does not belong to the monarch, but to the state. The income belongs to the state, but the assets of the property bureau are not owned by the British government, but are operated by an independent company, and the royal family is not involved in the management and operation. Because the estate is not the private property of the monarch, there is also a gulf between it and the personal wealth of Queen Elizabeth II and now Charles III. Queen Elizabeth II was once owner of Balmoral Castle and Sandringham estate, which she inherited and should now belong to her son.
The Royal Property Office’s annual report for the 2019-20 financial year (ending 31 March) put the company at £345m in profit. The Property Office passes the annual revenue to the UK government, which returns 25% of its profits to the Queen and the Royal Family as part of the Sovereign Grant. The monarch’s appropriation is used to pay the royal family to perform official duties and take care of the royal palace’s expenses every year. Last year’s grant was £85.9 million.
This delicate arrangement prevents the royal family from becoming a burden on the country and the people, and enables the tradition and the royal family to survive and develop in perpetuity. In the most recent poll, 61% of respondents said the monarchy should remain in place in the UK, compared with just 24% in favour of electing a head of state. The British public’s support for the royal family is still very high. In fact, the new British Prime Minister Truss, who was once an activist in abolishing the royal family when he was young, has now accepted the Queen’s appointment as the British Prime Minister two days before the Queen’s death.
In contrast, after the 1911 Revolution of 1911, the Qing government and the Provisional Government of the Republic of China drew up an agreement document on the protection measures after the Qing imperial family abdicated, called “Preferential Treatment Conditions for the Qing Dynasty”, also known as “Conditions for Preferential Treatment of the Qing Dynasty”. The content of the preferential treatment conditions for the Qing Dynasty includes the conditions for preferential treatment after the resignation of the Qing emperor, the conditions for the treatment of the Qing imperial family, and the conditions for the treatment of the Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, and Tibetan ethnic groups.
However, the Han Chinese provisional government of the Republic of China did not strictly abide by this agreement. From the second year onwards, the government owed 4 million taels of silver in arrears, and the Qing imperial family remained in the palace instead of moving to the Summer Palace. In the Beijing coup in 1924, the new government controlled by Feng Yuxiang replaced the original conditions with the “Amendment of the Preferential Treatment Conditions for the Qing Dynasty”. Later, Emperor Xuantong was abolished the title of emperor, and the annual usage was greatly reduced. Later, when the CCP usurped the country, it did not follow the rules that “the ancestral temples and mausoleums of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty are always enshrined, and guards are set up at the discretion of the Republic of China, and they are properly protected.” Properly protect” (modified conditions), but wantonly dug graves and opened Ding Mausoleum among the Ming Tombs.
Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Historically, the United Kingdom, the British Empire, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was one of the most important peoples in human history. Because of Hong Kong, the British Empire and the Chinese Empire also have profound historical origins. Within the UK, modern human settlements have been established within the last 5,000 years. The present-day England was once a province of the Roman Empire. After the end of the Roman Empire, the Germanic peoples moved to the British Isles, England began the Anglo-Saxon period, and Christianity began to be introduced. Continental European culture began to assimilate into Britain, beginning with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy, France, and the conquest of the British Isles. The British Territory as it is known today is the result of numerous mergers over the past few hundred years. In the tenth century AD, Scotland and England were still independent countries. Later, Wales and Ireland merged and joined. After Ireland established a free state, Northern Ireland remained in the UK. Today’s country name “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” was in 1927 It only officially existed a hundred years ago.
Although today’s Britain as a country as a whole has only a history of one hundred years, it has made great contributions to the establishment of human industrial revolution, industrialization, science and technology, literature and art, the capitalist system, and the establishment of parliamentary democracy. China has only been called the “world‘s factory” in recent years, and has only enjoyed this title for less than three decades. But Britain in the 19th century was the real, first “world factory” in human history. At that time it was the leading world power and maritime hegemon. Most notably, Britain was the birthplace of early parliamentary democracy and the largest constitutional monarchy in practice.
Parliamentary system or cabinet system, parliamentary democracy (parliamentary system), as a political system, is characterized by “parliamentary supremacy”, and the power of the head of government (prime minister or prime minister) comes from the parliament. Governments under a parliamentary system combine executive and legislative powers to ensure that the government they lead has the basis of popular opinion. This is slightly different from the separation of powers practiced in the United States.
Parliamentary democracy in the modern sense can be traced back to England in the 18th century. In 1714, the British monarch was supposed to preside over the cabinet and select cabinet members. However, because the king at the time was George I, he was from the electorate of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire, and his native language was German. The British cabinet ministers did not like to use Latin or French. Later, as the power of the parliament increased, it began to control the government and eventually the monarch. In countries or regions with existing parliamentary systems, some adopt a complete parliamentary republic system, there are mixed parliamentary republic systems, there are parliamentary constitutional monarchies with ceremonial/non-executive monarchs, and parliamentary constitutional monarchies in which the monarch holds real power. What the UK currently practices is a “parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a ceremonial/non-executive monarchy.”
Modern political scientists generally believe that a successful and stable liberal democracy does not necessarily require a complete separation of powers. In fact, with the exception of the United States, where there was no serious political conflict at the time, most of the first democratic attempts in countries that started to implement democracy and used a presidential system ended in failure. The success rate of the parliamentary system, on the contrary, is higher.
Constitutional monarchy (Constitutional monarchy) or limited monarchy, republican monarchy, virtual monarchy republic or democratic monarchy, is a state system relative to absolute monarchy. Constitutional monarchy is to establish the people’s sovereignty, limit the power of the monarch, and achieve the ideal of republicanism or democracy through constitution on the premise of retaining the monarchy. The UK’s parliamentary democracy is a constitutional monarchy, also known as “Westminster”. In the Westminster system, the head of state (king or queen) has greater emergency powers, but is governed by convention (rather than law) and less enforced.
The monarch under the constitutional monarchy is a “virtual monarch”, but some monarchs under the constitutional monarchy still have some privileges, which can be exercised without the consent of the parliament. In actual party politics, these privileges are almost always exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet on the advice of the monarch. It is only in emergency situations that it is possible for the monarch to exercise his prerogatives alone. Of course, this could trigger a constitutional crisis. In 1975, Australia’s Governor-General (the monarch’s representative) dismissed the Prime Minister without authorization, triggering a constitutional crisis. Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for 70 years, and she has never used this privilege, even during World War II and 15 changes of heads of government. But it is necessary to retain such privileges. In the recent electoral fraud in some countries such as the United States, if the United States is a constitutional monarchy, if the monarch takes decisive action to stop the fraud for the interests of the country and the well-being of the people at this time, it may save the American political arena. The catastrophe caused by the decline of morality and the invasion of communism.
People are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth and uncertain whether her descendants, the House of Windsor, will be able to continue its traditions. The decline of the Windsor dynasty was accompanied by the decline of the world‘s democratic institutions. Today, all over the world, especially in the United States, under the conditions of general corruption and moral decline, it is difficult for a single democratic system to overcome its shortcomings, and the state power and public instruments are arbitrarily stolen, weakened, and even destroyed by people with ulterior motives. Human beings need to sum up the wisdom and lessons of the past 5,000 years, and explore new, more effective, fairer, and better systems that fully guarantee the freedom of the people. People in the 21st century, after experiencing two (three?) world wars, four industrial revolutions, the rise and fall of countless dynasties, the ups and downs of dictatorships, and the chaos of a century of communism, should learn to be more rational and wiser , we can explore a new way of governing the country and society from the wisdom endowed by ancient sages and gods and Buddhas.
What will China’s future look like? Everyone can see that the Chinese Communist regime will soon collapse. After the demise of the CCP, what will China’s future political system look like? Overseas aspirants are already planning and discussing the form of government in China in the future. In the author’s opinion, China can consider a new system that absorbs the advantages of the democratic system and the traditional system, and can avoid the disadvantages of today’s human society in an era of moral decline. Perhaps, a “sage constitutional system” that takes into account people’s freedom and personal power, and adheres to traditional and moral concepts, which the author calls “the rule of the saints” or “the rule of virtue,” may be an option that can be considered.
As a system of national governance, the world today generally has republics, monarchies, and one-party systems. The republics include presidential, semi-presidential, parliamentary republics with real presidents, and parliamentary republics with virtual presidents, etc. For example, the United States is a presidential system, while Taiwan is a semi-presidential system. The monarchy regimes include parliamentary constitutional monarchy, dual constitutional monarchy, and absolute monarchy. In a country with a one-party system, the state power is controlled by one party, and there is only one ruling party for a long time.
Why is there no chance for China to implement a constitutional monarchy? Of course, there are historical reasons for this. The Chinese were not able to embark on the path of constitutional monarchy because the last emperor of China, the monarch at that time, was a foreign ruler. If not? If the last dynasty in China is not the Qing Dynasty, but the Ming Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty, what kind of ending will it be? History has passed, the past is long, and it is difficult to go back. When Mr. Sun Yat-sen and the sages of the National Revolution overthrew the Manchu Qing Dynasty, they used the slogan “Expel the Tatars and restore China”, because the ruling class in China at that time was the Manchus as “Tatars”. Of course, the Chinese-dominated national government could not support a foreign royal family. However, the role of the royal family and the monarch in stabilizing the country is very huge and important. Whether in Europe or Asia, countries that retain the royal family or the monarchy or constitutional monarchy have demonstrated a huge advantage of social stability.
Many people will take it for granted that the most developed, advanced and civilized countries in Europe and America are all “democracies”? In fact, in Europe and the United States, especially in Europe, there are many countries with constitutional monarchy. There are currently 12 monarchy, semi-monarchy, dual monarchy, and constitutional monarchy in Europe, including Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg ), Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City, and United Kingdom.
The government can leave, and it can be replaced like a lantern, but the country is eternal. As a symbol of the country, the royal family confirms this at all times. China, as the “middle earth” of the world, is of course eternal. No matter how many dynasties on this land of China have experienced, how many regimes in the post-dynasty era have experienced, how many governments have experienced, from the Republic of China government to the Communist government, it is not The owner of this land is just a guardian, manager, and manager. Managers and managers who do well can continue to do so; if they do not do well, they must be replaced. No matter what type of replacement procedure is used, peaceful or violent, managers and managers must be replaced regardless of whether the parties want it or not. But the country is eternal. This should be the form that the governance and continuation of human society must have.
God has set the order of the human world for mankind, but it seems that mankind has not followed it properly. For 5,000 years, people have fought and killed each other, and many systems have been established, but there is still no perfect system. A system that can create the greatest freedom and happiness for the most people in the longest time should be a better system. Since 1688, the British royal family and the parliament have kept the contract between them, so that the British people will not suffer political bloodshed and enjoy three hundred years of political stability. This should be a good system. In today’s troubled and apocalyptic times, many people realize that the Queen of England has taken away the last dignity of the former aristocrats, and what she leaves with the Queen of England is the nobility, elegance and decency of her representative generation. Is our world heading for greater indulgence and depravity tomorrow? The destiny of mankind is at a crossroads, how many people can realize it?
People all over the world, in memory of the Queen’s Dexin, are amazed by the Queen’s countless colors and styles of coats, especially the hats that match each coat beautifully, and the attention to detail. endlessly. I don’t know what to do with these beautiful costumes behind the Queen, and build the Queen’s Museum? Tradition and elegance, orthodoxy and nobility, etiquette and dignity, are all perfectly reflected in the Queen. The characteristics of these knowledge books and rituals are also the characteristics of civilized people, and they were also characteristics of ancient Chinese people. It is a pity that contemporary Chinese have lost these elegance after the CCP destroyed traditional Chinese culture and “destroyed the four olds”. But what is reflected from this incident is that the Queen attaches great importance to responsibilities, rules and norms. Queen Lisabeth II has been in office for 70 years. In the face of all the resolutions of the British Parliament and the Cabinet, the change of Prime Minister has only been said. Word – “Agree”. The Queen is widely respected, of course because she has the title Queen, but also because the Queen has never abused her power. She can exercise the power to appoint and remove the prime minister, veto the government’s decision, and exercise immunity from the law, but she has never done so, and she has withstood the test in the face of the temptation of power. However, although the Queen has never exercised these powers, allowing her to retain such powers can turn the tide at the most critical time. It is precisely the greatness of the constitutional monarchy, and it is also what the designers of China’s future system should consider.
The rule of virtue
The CCP is about to enter history, the rule of communist tyranny in China is about to end, and mankind may soon usher in a new era. People with lofty ideals and insight inside and outside China are already discussing China’s constitutional democracy and exploring the political system and social structure of China in the post-CCP period. As for the blueprint for the design of the new China, if people survey the history of virtue, benevolence, dictatorship, and tyranny, and learn from Qin Shihuang to Mao Zedong, from George I to Elizabeth II, from George Washington to Trump Biden, if people Being able to recognize the importance of morality, the value of freedom, and the good and evil of human nature, it is not difficult to find that the rule of sages, moral governance, compliance with public opinion, checks and balances of power, and protection of freedom should be the basis for the design of the new China blueprint. Here, the author only proposes a concept of “rule of sages and morality”, or “rule of virtue”, which combines the advantages of a constitutional monarchy in inheriting traditions and continuing the principles, and the advantages of a parliamentary system representing interest groups, and a republican system. Embodying the advantages of public opinion may provide a framework reference for China in the future.
The rule of virtue is called, why are sages and moral people, as the backbone of a country, so important? “Shuowen Jiezi” says, “Virtue is acquired, and virtue is acquired; that is, if you have virtue, you can get it, and if you have virtue, you can get it.” “Xunzi·Wangzhi” says, “No virtue is not expensive, and incompetence is not an official. “Lao Tzu” Chapter 49 says, “I will be kind to those who are good, and I will be good to those who are not good, and I will be good. I will believe those who believe, and I will also believe in those who do not believe.” That is to say, treat others kindly and treat anyone with kindness. People include those who are not good. We are accumulating virtue, and goodness is a kind of virtue. Treating honest people with sincerity and treating dishonest people with sincerity is the virtue of honesty. Faith or sincerity and honesty are also a kind of virtue. “Book of Zhou” said: “The emperor has no relatives, only virtue is the assistant.” (God has no difference in the relationship between people, but only the virtuous people are blessed by heaven.)
In the traditional and common concepts of the Chinese people, “virtue” and “virtue” are highly valued. When Chinese people despise, despise and ridicule others, they say, “Look at your virtue!” “It’s just your virtue.” When we look down on the appearance, behavior, behavior and style of others, we often associate the external inferiority with the internal characteristics, which is “moral character.” We all know clearly from the bottom of our heart that if the “virtue” is not enough, then If you don’t deserve anything, you won’t get anything. “Dexin” or “Virtue Fragrance” (“Book. Chen Jun”) is the most important. Mingde but Xin, Xin is a fragrance that can spread far away, such as fragrance, such as orchid fragrance. The Tang poet Liu Yuxi wrote “Inscription of the Shabby Room”, “This is a shabby room, but my virtue is Xin”. Sima Guang also said in the “Tongjian of Zizhizhi”, “The talented person is the capital of virtue; the virtuous person is the handsome man of talent.” Only those who are called gentlemen, those who possess virtue are called villains.”
In today’s world, such as American society and Chinese society, which are the focus of attention, people have fully seen how unvirtuous people, wicked people, and virtuous people can cause great harm to society and the people.
The head of state, or the monarch, or the king, or the president under the rule of virtue should be the sage elected by the people of the whole country, as in the times of Yao, Shun, and Yu. Note that it is the election of the people, not the election, nor the election. The method of electing saints and sages can be selected from the village level, and the village sages and sages are elected; then each village elects the county-level, city-level, and provincial-level sages and sages, and finally, among the sages and sages elected by the provinces, the head of state is elected. . The selection process is all open to the public, the people who are elected should be almost transparent, their virtues must be convincing, and their virtues must be flawless.
The “rule of virtue”, the monarch, monarch, or head of state (president) under the system of sages must be a person of high morality, a person of high morality and reputation, a sincere and kind elder, without any criminal record , without any scandals and stains, not a current government official, not the leader or leader of any political party, not the leader of any religious group, nor the leader and spokesperson of any interest group. People who meet all the above conditions, at least the age of “knowing the destiny” and “ears shun”, are people who can be as less affected by fame and fortune as possible. Under the “rule of virtue”, the family members of the virtuous ruler or the head of state, regardless of whether they are close or distant, are not allowed to hold government positions. A virtuous monarch or head of state under such a “rule of virtue” can put the community and the country first, and the people first; he will not betray the country, will not be bought or coerced, and will not involve the interests of the party, but only in the lofty To serve the whole country and all the people under the moral standards.
The only duty of a virtuous ruler or head of state under the “rule of virtue” is to dismiss the head of government (the prime minister, prime minister) and all government officials, but has no right to appoint. Once the prime minister/prime minister is removed from office, the parliament needs to be elected on a provisional basis until the next national election. Under the “rule of virtue”, the virtuous ruler or head of state is for life, serving until his death or voluntary resignation. When a virtuous ruler or head of state under the “rule of virtue” is in power, another round of election is required to elect his successor to the post and prepare to take over.
Under the “rule of virtue”, the central government and governments at all levels can adopt the cabinet system of forming cabinets according to parties or jointly forming cabinets. Civil servants/civil servants in the country are divided into “administrative officers” and “service officers”. Political officials participate in the decision-making of major national policies, and advance or retreat with the success or failure of political party elections or policy changes, such as government ministers, political committees, and deputy ministers/deputy ministers of various ministries. Administrative officials are government officials with political orientation, “political chiefs” and “political appointments”. A affairs officer is a permanent civil servant who executes in accordance with established policies, and is an official at the policy implementation level in the administrative hierarchy. Affairs officials shall not be attached to any political party, shall not change with the replacement of political parties, and maintain the continuity of government operations. Local provincial, municipal, and county-level governments are also formed, with a high degree of local autonomy.
All in all, under the principles of moral governance and sage rule, China may be able to implement a virtual monarch, an elected parliament, two or three powers, and govern with morality and sages. A new state system for people’s hearts.
(The author, Dr. Xie Tian, is Professor of Marketing at the University of South Carolina Aiken School of Business and John Olin Palm Chair Professor)
Responsible editor: Gao Yi