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From: jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: The Commonwealth
Message-ID: <2354@hcrvx2.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Jul-86 20:16:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: hcrvx2.2354
Posted: Sun Jul 20 20:16:49 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jul-86 01:44:42 EDT
References: <8091@watrose.UUCP>
Reply-To: jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Distribution: can
Organization: Human Computing Resources, Toronto
Lines: 24
Summary: 

In article <8091@watrose.UUCP> gdvsmit@watrose.UUCP (Riel Smit) writes:
>I am interested to hear other people's opininions on the Commonwealth.
>Do you think it has any merit as an organization, and if so what?  Does
>Canada gain anything from belonging to the Commonwealth?

When I think of the Commonwealth I think of the monarchy, and when I 
think of the monarchy I think of an archaic institution that has
about as much relevance to the 20th century as does the buggy whip.

I find it truly amazing that not only do the citizens of this *democratic*
country owe allegiance to a queen, but to a foreign queen to boot. Shades
of colonialism! If we are so bent on living in the Dark Ages the very
least we could do is grow our own. 

So, as can be easily inferred from the above I would lose not a 
microsecond of sleep if the Commonwealth were to break up. 

J.B. Robinson

PS As I understand it the Queen is getting upset because Thatcher won't
   impose sanctions on South Africa. Personally, I wouldn't mind her
   (the queen's) position if she would show a bit of consistency and
   call for sanctions against *any* Commonwealth country that has not
   enfranchised its citizenry.