Monarchs & Madmen

    Just because the world seems to be fracturing and corruption is literally oozing around the corners of every former bastion of freedom and faith these days, does not mean we have to accept it. One of the first pillars of effective communication that gets attacked - and corrupted - is always language.  

This is how propaganda works, right?

Words are so easy to weaponise - but there are thousands of years of bloodshed behind the meanings of words, and I won't let it be so easy that I refuse to try.

    These are some of the words I've heard thrown at folks who are doing their best to stand up to power - and in this age of instant information, where perception is starting to matter more even, that reality, words are not harmless. If they were, calling a Prime Minister 'governor' would not be an insult - but it is, and it's intended to be so. This is how we know it's important to de-corrupt the language we use. De-weaponise it. Stick the carnations where ever you think they'll make the most difference. I'm not much for gestures, but I'm out here trying to correct deliberate distortions of language with accuracy. My attempt at anti-propaganda, if you will.

I'd like to begin with some clarity regarding regimes, as opposed to ideologies. The two are not the same, though they're often conflated by propagandists to serve their own interests. It's probably a good idea to keep this in mind. (Siiiggghhh.)

A Not-So-Boring Guide to Political Regimes:
Politics has always been a messy business, and history is littered with leaders who ruled well, ruled terribly, or simply refused to leave the throne. Here I go, anti-lying for you all.

Systems of government

Monarchy: All hail the Crown
A monarchy is a system of government where a single ruler, usually a king or queen, holds power, often under the claim of divine right or lineage. Monarchies can be absolute, where the monarch has unchecked control (think Louis XIV of France or the current king of Saudi Arabia), or constitutional, where the ruler's powers are limited by law or parliament (more on that later).

Examples:
1. Ancient Rome (753–509 BCE): Before Rome went full-on Republic, it was ruled by kings; some benevolent, some… not so much. If you're wondering about the empire so central to so many, that came later - when one man asked for power 'temporarily', just until he could 'save them' - and then refused to give it back.
    His name was Julius Caesar and he was assassinated on the steps of the senate - by his fellow senators, no less. A cautionary tale for those who seek to usurp the will of the people.

2. France under Louis XIV (1643–1715): “L’état, c’est moi,” he said (“I am the state”) and he wasn’t kidding.

Constitutional Monarchy: Democracy with a crown head of state
A constitutional monarchy is where a king or queen exists, but real governing power lies with elected officials and a constitution.

Examples:
1. The British monarchy is largely ceremonial, with Parliament and the Prime Minister actually running things. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand all recognise the British monarch as their head of state, but they have independent governments and a Governor General acts as the monarch's representative.

Is a constitutional monarchy democratic?
While these nations function as democracies with elected representatives, they still acknowledge an unelected royal figurehead. However, since the monarch has no real governing power, these countries remain firmly democratic in practice.
    The monarch does still have the power to remove the Prime Minister, but this has rarely occurred. My homeland, Australia, is famous for this event from 1975 where the Governor General sacked the PM, precipitating a constitutional crisis. As far as I know this hasn't happened anywhere else.

Republic: it's everyone's business
A form of government in which the country is considered a public matter ("res publica") rather than the private concern of a few secretive rulers. In a republic, sovereignty belongs to the people, and the government operates based on laws rather than the whims of a monarch , or a group of elites.
    Republics typically have a head of state (such as a president) and a governing body elected by citizens. While all republics reject hereditary rule, they can vary significantly in structure. Some republics are democratic (e.g., France), while others have authoritarian rule (e.g., the People’s Republic of China).

Examples:
1. One of the oldest examples is the tiny sovereign nation of San Marino, a nation within the borders of Italy but not governed by Italians. San Marino has had its own constitution since 1600, has two Captains as heads of state who are re-elected every six months. San Marino has a separate legislature.

    The nation had occasion to grant honorary citizenship to Abraham Lincoln, who declared San Marino demonstrated that a "government founded on republican principles is capable of being so administered as to be secure and enduring."

2. France is a semi-presidential republic with a prime minister, who is the head of government, appointed by the president who is the directly elected head of state. This is France's fifth republic; the first was founded by Napoleon in 1792 - who ruined this all of course, by crowning himself emperor ion 1804 (see 'monarch', above).

Constitutional Republic: Balancing the rights of the many with the rule of law
A constitutional republic is a republic operating under a written constitution, which defines and limits government powers while protecting individual rights.

    Unlike a pure democracy, where majority rule can override minority rights, a constitutional republic ensures that certain rights and laws remain protected, regardless of popular opinion.
    The constitution outlines government structure, limits state power, and guarantees rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process. Elected representatives make laws, but they must adhere to the constitutional framework. The courts can also strike down laws that violate constitutional principles.

Examples:
1. India is a constitutional republic and a representative democracy - the world's largest in fact - where citizens elect leaders at multiple levels of government (local, state, and national). The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, guarantees fundamental rights, similar to the U.S.

2. Germany operates under a constitutional republic model with a parliamentary system. The Chancellor (head of government) is elected by the Bundestag (parliament). Their system includes strong protections for civil liberties.

Dictatorship: Rule by One
A government where power is concentrated in one leader, often maintained through force. An autocracy is a broader term referring to any system where absolute power resides in a single ruler. A monarchy is also an example of an autocracy.

Examples:
1. The Roman Empire ruled by Julius Caesar (49–44 BCE): Rome’s first dictator-for-life (spoiler: didn’t end well for him).

2. The French Empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte (1804–1815): From revolutionary hero to self-declared emperor (spoiler again: ended in an island prison, suffering haemorrhoids, stomach cancer and possible poisoning).

3. North Korea under Kim Jong-un: A modern hereditary dictatorship. How is this different to a monarchy? No 'appointed by God' ruling because there's no one above the leader himself; not even a deity.

Benevolent Dictatorship: The “good” kind of tyranny?
A benevolent dictatorship is a system where a single ruler wields absolute power but (supposedly) acts in the best interest of the people.

Examples:
1. The Roman Empire (again) because until his assassination, Julius Caesar made reforms that benefited the people. He also presided over an era of fairly stable peace.

2. Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew (1959–1990): Strict rule, but transformed Singapore into an economic powerhouse.

Theocracy: Rule by the Divine
A theocracy is a government run by religious leaders, where laws are based on religious doctrine.

Examples:
1. Ancient Egypt: Pharaohs ruled as gods.

2. The Vatican: The Pope leads both the Catholic Church and Vatican City.

3. Iran (1979–present): A Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority under Islamic law.

Oligarchy: Rule by the Few
An oligarchy is when a small group of people - whether military leaders, wealthy elites, or political insiders - control a nation.

Examples:
1. Sparta (Ancient Greece): Ruled by a few powerful warrior families.

2. Russia (Post-Soviet era): A handful of oligarchs hold immense economic and political power.

Plutocracy: When the rich ru(i)n it all
Government by the wealthy, where economic elites hold disproportionate power and influence. While often disguised within democratic or oligarchic systems, it ensures that those with the money call the shots. Lobbying, corporate donations, and billionaire-backed candidates make some argue that the US leans plutocratic. 

Example:
1. The Gilded Age of the United States (1870s–1900): Industrial tycoons like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt wielded enormous influence in politics, including the formation of social policies that made many workers effective slaves to capitalism.
    This is the era the current administration seek to bring back - you'll note that neither women nor people of colour had any protections back then.

Ideologies that also function as systems of government:

Communism: Theoretically classless
Communism is an economic and political ideology advocating for collective ownership of resources and a classless society, where the state controls production and wealth is distributed based on need. Theoretically, it aims for a utopia where everyone is equal, but historically, it hasn’t quite worked out that way because the 'state' is still run by people and ambitious people seem predisposed to elevate themselves above other.

Examples:
1. Soviet Union (1922–1991): The first large-scale communist state, though not exactly the utopia Marx envisioned.

2. China under Mao Zedong (1949–1976): Communism with Chinese characteristics - great for propaganda, less great for the people.

Marxism, Leninism, and Stalinism: Know the Difference

• Marxism: Founded by Karl Marx, this system envisions a proletarian (workers) revolution overthrowing capitalism, leading to a classless society. When you hear someone called 'a Marxist' (I heard this shouted out about Kamala Harris a lot last year), remember that this is what it is SUPPOSED to mean.

• Leninism: Vladimir Lenin adapted Marxism, arguing that a “vanguard party” (a small group of dedicated revolutionaries) must lead the working class. So, classless - but with educated leaders. Nice idea but you can see how elitism crept in, right?
  
  
• Stalinism: Joseph Stalin took Leninism and added purges, totalitarian control, and labour camps for good measure. The ugliest version of the classless utopia imaginable really. (Going to place my warning for the US here today - for #REASONS.)

Fascism: Total control
Fascism is a far-right ideology characterised by dictatorial power, suppression of opposition, and aggressive nationalism. It rejects democracy in favour of strong, centralised rule.

Examples:
1. Italy under Mussolini (1922–1943): The original fascist state.

2. Spain under Franco (1939–1975): A fascist dictatorship that lasted decades.

Nazism: Racist fascism
Nazism, or National Socialism, was a fascist ideology championed by Adolf Hitler. Unlike generic fascism, which focuses on nationalism and authoritarian rule, Nazism added an extreme racial component, advocating Aryan supremacy. Eugenics is a key plant of the Nazi ideological system.

Example:
Nazi Germany (1933–1945): Hitler’s regime led to World War II and the Holocaust, making Nazism one of the most reviled ideologies in history - yet here we are, with white supremacists running alongside way too many power-mad despots again.

Democracy: By the people (demos)
A democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people, typically through elected representatives. It operates on the principles of majority rule, individual rights, and the rule of law.

    Democracies ensure that citizens have a say in governance, often through free and fair elections, public participation, and a legal framework that protects fundamental freedoms. Citizens in a direct democracy vote on laws directly.

Examples:
1. Ancient Athens (5th Century BCE) is considered the birthplace of democracy and was a direct democracy. Citizens (free Athenian men) had the right to participate in government directly by voting on laws and policies in the Assembly. However, women, slaves, and non-citizens were excluded, making it a limited democracy by modern standards.

2. Switzerland operates as a semi-direct democracy, where citizens elect representatives but also vote on key laws and constitutional amendments through referendums. This system gives more power to the people compared to other representative democracies.

Representative democracy: trusting the powers that be
A representative democracy is a system where citizens elect officials to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf. This contrasts with a direct democracy, where citizens vote directly on policies. Representative democracy is more practical for large, complex societies where direct participation in every decision is impractical.
    Key features of representative democracy include elected legislators who are elected by their constituents to debate and pass laws. Representative democracies also have the separation of powers (executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent any one group from holding too much power.

    Positions of power come with set term limits and regular elections must be held, making the representatives accountable to the people. The rule of law requires that all laws apply equally to all citizens, ensuring fairness and justice.

Examples
1. The Roman Republic (509 BCE – 27 BCE) – Early Republic
Before becoming an empire, Rome was a republic, with elected officials (senators and consuls) governing on behalf of the people. The system allowed for representation, though it heavily favoured the wealthy elite (patricians), while the common people (plebeians) fought for political rights.

2. The UK parliament developed democratic principles over time. The Magna Carta (1215) established early limits on the king’s power, and by the 17th century, Parliament had gained substantial authority. Today, the UK operates as a representative democracy within a monarchy.

3. Brazil follows a representative democracy within a constitutional republic structure, with a president elected by the people. Despite some political instability, the constitution ensures legal rights and democratic processes.

There’s no perfect government. Each has flaws and strengths. Democracies tend to provide more freedoms, while authoritarian regimes offer stability (often at the cost of individual rights). History shows that power concentrated in too few hands, for too long, usually ends badly. One thing I do know though, is that words have power and when we allow terms to be thrown at the wall without proper thought, we dilute the danger to ourselves, our loved ones, and our nations.