Skip to content

The Kingdom of the Spectacle 

Reflecting on the farce of monarchy.

Source >> anti*capitalist resistance

Were it to occur elsewhere in the world, we can all imagine the snobbish response to the widespread hysteria witnessed as Queen Elizabeth II lies in state. The abundance of idolatry on display would be the subject of articles in the right-wing press, mocking the grief, embarrassed by the lack of decorum.

Images of the spectacle are constantly being shown to us; they flash on every TV, permeate every radio, and appear in print on every newspaper. Apart from the spectacle, all news has ceased, and what was known has been eradicated from people’s minds. News of a war, a new prime minister, and a crisis in the cost of living is omitted to preserve an image. But what image? It is as if we are living under monarchical absolutism, and the people must worship at the altar of spectacle. This is power. This is their power, controlling the narrative, telling you what to feel and what to think.

Images of the spectacle are constantly being shown to us; they flash on every TV, permeate every radio, and appear in print on every newspaper. Apart from the spectacle, all news has ceased, and what was known has been eradicated from people’s minds.

Am I wrong? Cast your mind back to before D Day. Did you care about the Queen and the royal family? Be honest. If you didn’t and now surprisingly find yourself partial to the idea of Charles III and then William V, their job is done. Elizabeth the II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, has gone, but this will not be Elizabeth the Last. The apparatus of the state is currently indoctrinating the populous to continue the charade of hereditary monarchy. It is the twenty-first century, yet this kingdom, united only in name, remains unwilling to accept an elected head of state and puts all faith in one dysfunctional family.

Republicanism is a dirty word. Those who celebrate the passing of the Elizabethan age, will be stoned and, if the monarchists have their way, made to repent, for this is the new age of Charles III. The state loves a good war or death to hide behind, the strings are pulled, and the public made to dance. Dissent now nullified in this supposed home of free speech.

Republicanism is a dirty word. Those who celebrate the passing of the Elizabethan age, will be stoned and, if the monarchists have their way, made to repent, for this is the new age of Charles III.

All dictatorships that are currently in power nod their heads in agreement as opposing voices are muffled by a wall of state-approved propaganda and moved along by ever-willing police. There will be no protest here. In what must be the first use of the Tories’ anti-demonstrating law, protesters have been scattered and dragged away, from Oxford to London, leaving only the spectacle. Someone shouting “dirty old man” in Scotland was detained for obstructing the peace. The truth hurts. Putin would be pleased that a London lawyer who couldn’t even write “Not My King” on a blank piece of paper was moved on.

Is this really the new beginning they want and need?

No, of course not. But now the people have become mute, unable to revolt, conditioned to be subservient to the idea. The spectacle continues, even after death.


Artificial Intelligence Book Review Books Britain Capitalism China Class Climate Change Conservative Government Conspiracy Theories Creeping Fascism Crime and Punishment diary Donald J Trump Economics Elon Musk Europe Fascism Film France Gaza History Imperialism Iran Israel Keir Starmer Labour Government Labour Party Marxist Theory Migrants Nigel Farage Palestine Protest Reform UK Russia Suella Braverman tarrifs Television Trade Unionism Ukraine United States of America Verso Books War Work Working Class

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share the Post:

Latest Posts

A vintage revolver mounted on a plain beige wooden wall, evoking the concept of Chekhov’s gun. The weapon is displayed in profile with a dark blued metal frame and a worn wooden grip, lit softly to highlight its aged, utilitarian design.
Alexander Dugin

The Gospel of World War Three: Alexander Dugin and the Death Cult of Civilisation

Alexander Dugin’s latest polemic is not political analysis but fascist sermon—an apocalyptic blueprint in which nuclear war is both inevitable and desirable. Cloaked in the language of sovereignty and tradition, it is a call to arms for a new ideology of holy Russian power. What begins with Fordow ends with the end of humanity. And for that reason alone, it demands scrutiny—not celebration. You listening, tech bros?

Read More »
A square-cropped image featuring the bold black text "THE SAMSON OPTION" in all capital letters on a cream background. The second "O" in "OPTION" is stylised with the upper half containing the Israeli flag and the lower half the American flag, symbolising the book’s geopolitical focus
Iran

The Bomb in the Basement, the Bomb in the Mountains: Israel, Iran, and the Nuclear Hypocrisy of the West

The next state to cross the nuclear threshold won’t be doing anything new. It’ll be following the path Israel already took—building the bomb in secret, shielded by silence and strategic utility. The real precedent was set decades ago in the Negev. That’s the hypocrisy at the heart of the so-called international order: one bomb is a threat to civilisation, the other a pillar of it. This isn’t about non-proliferation. It’s about who gets to own the apocalypse.

Read More »
A stylised, screen-printed poster shows the Spanish PM in a suit walking past large NATO emblems on bold, flat panels. The image is rendered in a 1968 protest aesthetic with a grainy texture and a limited palette of red, navy blue, and beige. The composition evokes vintage political posters, with stark contrast and minimal detail emphasising the symbolism of militarism and conformity.
Donald J Trump

Only Spain Has Got It Right

At The Hague summit, NATO committed to spending 5% of GDP on defence and security by 2035—a figure with no strategic rationale and every sign of submission to Donald Trump. Only Spain said no. Pedro Sánchez broke ranks, arguing that gutting public services to fund rearmament was neither economically justifiable nor politically defensible. In doing so, he exposed what the rest of Europe won’t admit: this isn’t about defence. It’s about deference. And someone had to refuse.

Read More »