The Commonwealth

© MMXIII V.1.0.3
by Morley Evans

As the year 2013 draws to a close there is little to cheer us. The "Leader of the Free World" has revealed itself to be the "Oceania" in George Orwell's 1984. The Stasi police state of East Germany never came close to the technology now used by the United States to spy on Americans and everyone else in the world. The power of Washington's empire continues to expand on phony money and Washington relentlessly moves the world toward WW III and annihilation of the human race. Is there no good news, nothing to bring hope?

Here's something and someone to consider:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/HMTheQueen.aspx

In 1952,  HRH Princess Elizabeth ascended the throne to become HRH Queen Elizabeth II. The British Empire had ceased being an empire with the independence of India in 1948. Hong Kong, the last Crown Colony, was returned to The People's Republic of China in 1997 after the 99-year lease had expired that had been forced onto China by the Opium Wars.

World hegemony began to shift away from the British Empire and toward the United States with the Spanish American War (1898-1901) and the Boer Wars (1880-1881 and 1899-1902). The Great War (1914-1918) marked the end of British world domination that had lasted for centuries — since 1066, actually. The Second World War (1939-1945) reduced Great Britain (so-named by James I in 1603) to the status of an American colony, completing the American Revolution.

Through the 1950s The Queen presided over loss of Great Britain's colonies and the independence of her Dominions. The British economy sagged as Germany and Japan — the supposed losers of the Second World War — surged ahead. Yet something remarkable was happening that went unremarked for 50 years.

Through the personal efforts of The Queen, the British Empire turned into the British Commonwealth and then into The Commonwealth we know today. This may point the world toward the peace and security everyone desires.

Member states have no legal obligation one to another. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture, and their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.[3] These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter[5] and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games. India and Pakistan are mortal enemies yet they remain members of this fraternal club. Brothers don't always get along. South Africa was expelled and was readmitted. Rwanda is out but may return.

When they are looking for something to mark the life of The Queen, The Commonwealth is it. She levies no taxes, passes no laws and declares no wars. Under our many differences, all share common decency.

God Save The Queen.