Australian Politics Forum - the CHOGM's head

MeisterEckhart Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 16038 Gender:	the CHOGM's head Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role. The HOGS did so unanimously.
Back to top	« Last Edit: Jul 22^nd, 2025 at 11:03am by freediver » IP Logged

Frank

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 52963
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #1 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:17pm

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm:

It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role.

The HOGS did so unanimously.

What is it telling you? That it is the British Comonwealth and its head is the...er... British Sovereign?

Not some Mugabe or Kenyatta or Jacinta Adherrn, elected today, chucked out tomorrow ?

Back to top

Estragon: I can’t go on like this.
Vladimir: That’s what you think.

IP Logged

MeisterEckhart

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 16038
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #2 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:24pm

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:17pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm:

It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role.

The HOGS did so unanimously.

What is it telling you? That it is the British Comonwealth and its head is the...er... British Sovereign?

Not some Mugabe or Kenyatta or Jacinta Adherrn, elected today, chucked out tomorrow ?

Head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary role. If it were, Elizabeth II would not have had to express her wish that Charles assume the role when king.

Back to top

IP Logged

MeisterEckhart

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 16038
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #3 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:37pm

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:17pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm:

It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role.

The HOGS did so unanimously.

What is it telling you?

It told me that Elizabeth II took the advice of her British prime minister - the political leader of the British establishment - to make a public and personal appeal that the leadership of the Commonwealth pass to her son, hereditary-style.

That flew in the face of the Commonwealth's claim of absolute equality among its members, something quite a few HOGs were saying publicly before her public appeal.

It was also completely out of character for Elizabeth II to relegate the democratic principles of the Commonwealth and make an appeal to aristocratic birthright over a democratic election.

The British establishment had no intention of ceding its control of the Commonwealth, even at the risk of embarrassing the monarch.

Back to top

IP Logged

Frank

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 52963
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #4 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:38pm

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:24pm:

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:17pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm:

It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role.

The HOGS did so unanimously.

What is it telling you? That it is the British Comonwealth and its head is the...er... British Sovereign?

Not some Mugabe or Kenyatta or Jacinta Adherrn, elected today, chucked out tomorrow ?

Head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary role. If it were, Elizabeth II would not have had to express her wish that Charles assume the role when king.

Britain is a hereditary monarchy.

The British Comonwealth, by definition, is anchored in Britain.

Back to top

Estragon: I can’t go on like this.
Vladimir: That’s what you think.

IP Logged

freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 51338 At my desk.	Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For? Reply #5 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:48pm If the assembled leaders got involved in selecting the next head of the commonwealth, it would probably just lose them votes at home, and international goodwill. It is not a position of actual authority anyway. Just the last vestige of the old system that were convenient to hang onto.
Back to top	People who can't distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words. IP Logged

MeisterEckhart

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 16038
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #6 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:52pm

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:38pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:24pm:

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 8:17pm:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 5:48pm:

It was telling that, despite the mood within the Commonwealth governments to elect the Head of the Commonwealth for set terms, Elizabeth II, at her last COGM meeting in London, asked the gathered HOGs straight out to appoint Prince Charles, immediately when King, as her successor to the role.

The HOGS did so unanimously.

What is it telling you? That it is the British Comonwealth and its head is the...er... British Sovereign?

Not some Mugabe or Kenyatta or Jacinta Adherrn, elected today, chucked out tomorrow ?

Head of the Commonwealth is not a hereditary role. If it were, Elizabeth II would not have had to express her wish that Charles assume the role when king.

Britain is a hereditary monarchy.

The British Comonwealth, by definition, is anchored in Britain.

You don't know enough about the Commonwealth to know that it is dedicated to the principles of democracy, and to the equality of all member nations within it.

The decision to accept the then-Prince Charles as the next head of the Commonwealth was extremely controversial.

Back to top

IP Logged

MeisterEckhart

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 16038
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #7 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:08pm

freediver wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:48pm:

If the assembled leaders got involved in selecting the next head of the commonwealth, it would probably just lose them votes at home, and international goodwill. It is not a position of actual authority anyway. Just the last vestige of the old system that were convenient to hang onto.

Many HOGs were publicly insisting that an election be held for the role of Head of the Commonwealth, similar to the presidency of the EU.

As the role is non-hereditary, that was once what was assumed would be the case in the event of the monarch's death.

When the HOGs met in London after Elizabeth II's public request, they all met without staff, cameras or recording devices to thrash it out.

While it was announced that they'd decided Prince Charles would be the next head, there was the embarrassment of a very nervous Theresa May insisting it was unanimous, with others claiming it was a consensus.

Footage at the time of the request showed a stone-faced Queen and a nervous Prince of Wales.

Elizabeth II had publicly done what she had never done before - asked for hereditary primacy over democracy within the Commonwealth.

Back to top

IP Logged

Frank Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 52963 Gender:	Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For? Reply #8 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:27pm https://youtube.com/shorts/zdOXDDEVgAQ?si=3sYuJD6Ujv3Aid9E
Back to top	Estragon: I can’t go on like this. Vladimir: That’s what you think. IP Logged

MeisterEckhart Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 16038 Gender:	Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For? Reply #9 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:37pm Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:27pm: https://youtube.com/shorts/zdOXDDEVgAQ?si=3sYuJD6Ujv3Aid9E Which one were you dressed as, Agatha Frank (they/them)?
Back to top	IP Logged

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 88785
Proud Old White Australian Man
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #10 - Jul 21^st, 2025 at 11:15pm

There's nothing wrong with belonging to a Common Wealth of shared interests and shared consideration for one another, and in being part of a body that looks after each member.

Under SEATO Australia fought in Malaya, Borneo/Malaysia during Confrontation - Malays being part of the Commonwealth - and then Vietnam as a strategic posting of a position on the South East Asian mainland.

Back to top

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
― John Adams

IP Logged

freediver

Gold Member

Offline

www.ozpolitic.com

Posts: 51338
At my desk.

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #11 - Jul 22^nd, 2025 at 8:42am

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:08pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:48pm:

If the assembled leaders got involved in selecting the next head of the commonwealth, it would probably just lose them votes at home, and international goodwill. It is not a position of actual authority anyway. Just the last vestige of the old system that were convenient to hang onto.

Many HOGs were publicly insisting that an election be held for the role of Head of the Commonwealth, similar to the presidency of the EU.

As the role is non-hereditary, that was once what was assumed would be the case in the event of the monarch's death.

When the HOGs met in London after Elizabeth II's public request, they all met without staff, cameras or recording devices to thrash it out.

While it was announced that they'd decided Prince Charles would be the next head, there was the embarrassment of a very nervous Theresa May insisting it was unanimous, with others claiming it was a consensus.

Footage at the time of the request showed a stone-faced Queen and a nervous Prince of Wales.

Elizabeth II had publicly done what she had never done before - asked for hereditary primacy over democracy within the Commonwealth.

So what does the head of the commonwealth do?

Back to top

People who can't distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words.

IP Logged

MeisterEckhart

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 16038
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #12 - Jul 22^nd, 2025 at 9:09am

freediver wrote on Jul 22^nd, 2025 at 8:42am:

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:08pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 9:48pm:

If the assembled leaders got involved in selecting the next head of the commonwealth, it would probably just lose them votes at home, and international goodwill. It is not a position of actual authority anyway. Just the last vestige of the old system that were convenient to hang onto.

Many HOGs were publicly insisting that an election be held for the role of Head of the Commonwealth, similar to the presidency of the EU.

As the role is non-hereditary, that was once what was assumed would be the case in the event of the monarch's death.

When the HOGs met in London after Elizabeth II's public request, they all met without staff, cameras or recording devices to thrash it out.

While it was announced that they'd decided Prince Charles would be the next head, there was the embarrassment of a very nervous Theresa May insisting it was unanimous, with others claiming it was a consensus.

Footage at the time of the request showed a stone-faced Queen and a nervous Prince of Wales.

Elizabeth II had publicly done what she had never done before - asked for hereditary primacy over democracy within the Commonwealth.

So what does the head of the commonwealth do?

For the British establishment, it maintains control over one of its pillars of soft power that sustains its sense of world supremacy.

It's important enough in the establishment's estimation for the British parliament to include 'Head of the Commonwealth' in the title it offers and bestows on the monarch upon his taking of the oath. It's as close as it can get to bestowing the title of Emperor, (Emperor-adjacent, if you like), which it retired in 1947.

Much like the British monarch, the Head of the Commonwealth 'reigns' over the Commonwealth.

Back to top

IP Logged

Frank

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 52963
Gender: male

Re: Tolerance - What Is It Good For?
Reply #13 - Jul 22^nd, 2025 at 9:52am

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:37pm:

Frank wrote on Jul 21^st, 2025 at 10:27pm:

https://youtube.com/shorts/zdOXDDEVgAQ?si=3sYuJD6Ujv3Aid9E

Which one were you dressed as, Agatha Frank (they/them)?

That's not very tolerant, is it?

https://youtu.be/YrbGCGBsGYs?si=1LCG1qpHcigvyFk9

Bonus
https://youtube.com/shorts/Eo7KPd9-jww?si=cIbnmONdXkRF3iBs

Back to top