Hi Doc Sarvis:
There's so much unpacking to do about the UK side of this mess, I don't know where to begin.
~The Royal Family has been stung with scandals before, like Camilla Parker-Bowles, Lady Diana's harsh treatment.
~Separately, the UK government has suffered scandals: the Profumo Affair, the Cambridge Five.
~The late Queen reportedly knew about Andrew's sexual escapades with underaged nymphets.
~The Lord Chamberlain was a former director of MI5 and had the "ability to see around corners." But King Charles replaced this uber-competent man with a wealthy political hack when he assumed the throne.
~Inexplicably, the Royal Family hosted Dummkopf Trumpf last year. For what or whose benefit is anyone's guess.
~Then King Charles de-royalizes his younger brother, depriving him of all immunities and privileges.
To save the Royal Family, they have let go of a liability, namely Andrew.
During WWI, the UK Royal Family had to support a war against Cousin Willie (Kaiser Wilhelm) and then they refused to let cousin Nicky (Czar Nicholas II) into the UK after the Russian Revolution. The UK had their share of labor problems and the masses were unhappy with the war.
The difference between the UK and the US reactions may have to do with our system of government and responsiveness.
In the UK, the Royal Family can strip someone of their privileges on-two-three or Parliament can hold a vote of no confidence and snap elections are held.
In the US, we have to wait four years to kick a scoundrel out or try and convince the entire US Congress (both parties) to impeach him.
British longevity and tradition may play a part as well. The Brits survived much longer and more than us Americans. They gave us the Magna Carta and the British pound (along with the Japanese yen and the Russian ruble) are the oldest currencies in the world.
Two countries are described by historians as "experiments": America and the (secular) Turkish Republic. The same might be said of modern day Germany, but I haven't come across that.
The millennia-old United Kingdom that gave the world Shakespeare is certainly not an "experiment."
There is a drudge.com contributor with a British name 'GTBRIT' or somesuch who can probably speak more about this than me.
