By Claire Rayner
“The moment we begin to reason upon the hereditary system, it falls into derision„ let but a single idea begin and a thousand will soon follow. Insignificance, imbecility, childhood, dotage, want of moral character, in fine, every defect, serious or laughable, unite to hold up the hereditary system as a figure of ridicule”.
Thomas Paine: First Principles of Government, 1795.
When Thomas Paine died two hundred years ago he was the most noted radical thinker of his age. He wrote a great deal on politics and philosophy, including two of the most important books in English, Rights of Man and The Age of Reason.
He supported the American Revolution and fought against the King of England and contributed to the Declaration of Independence. He took part in the French Revolution, declaring himself a Republican, wanting to see the monarchy overthrown and France a Republic. All remarkable activities for a boy born in the country market town of Thetford in East Anglia to follow his father’s trade as a corset maker!
But enough of a great man’s history. There have been many great men and women who have left legacies of wise words and inspiring action, but few who have provided modern radicals with so-called revolutionary ideas quite so relevant to our hopes and aspirations. What is as interesting as Thomas Paine’s past is what he might choose to fight for in the present.
It isn’t guesswork to list the causes he would now support, his books, pamphlets and papers make his thinking abundantly clear.
The monarchy would have been his first target. He did not think it right that one person should inherit a throne in which to sit in pomp above the citizenry. He would think so today. The Windsor family who occupy and own so much of Britain (the eldest son of the current monarch has become obscenely rich because of his inherited lollipop, the Duchy of Cornwall, on which he pays a fraction of the taxes he should, just as his mother does from her massive income) living in great palaces and country houses for which we, the citizens of this country have contributed large chunks of our taxes and of which we actually own, while people too poor to pay taxes live in squalid housing estates or sleep rough on the streets. The Windsor’s seem sublimely unaware of such “subjects” existence, let alone showing concern about our welfare.
Like today’s British Republicans Paine would not choose to chop their heads off a la Francaise but would strip them of most of their assets for public use, leaving them enough to live in moderately sized houses where they would be expected to seek real jobs.
The monarch’s ‘job’ would be filled by an elected Head of State, a well regarded non-politically active person who would be intelligent, wise and lacking any desire for riches or pompous living and unable to influence the Government, although available as a confident if asked (a sort of relationship guidance counsellor). After all, the job requires only handshaking of visiting Heads of State, factory inspecting, admiring babies and acceptances of bunches of flowers.
Reform of Parliament would be an inevitable outcome of the removal of the monarchy. An unelected second House would be impossible in a country with an elected Head of State. So, Paine would help us to do away with the Lords in the permanent seats with their ridiculous titles. Many current members of the second house are so old they only attend for their daily expenses and to sleep on the red benches. Which leaves some of the younger ones to indulge in a quiet corruption, well, quiet until a newspaper finds out.
Separation of state and religion would be another long desired effect. Throwing the bishops in their pretty sleeves out of the House might make it look less cute but it would be a huge step towards getting rid of religious meddling in lawmaking religion.
Finally, a written Constitution like the one that makes US citizens secure in their rights (as long as they’ve elected a good President, the awfulness of Bush and his trampling of Constitutional Rights at Guantanamo et al shows us how vital a non-political powerless Head of State is for us.
If only we had a Thomas Paine and his perfect code back – ‘My country is the world, my religion is to do good’. But at least the Rights of Man and The Age of Reason remain in print.
Reprinted from: Good Company, Ideas on Modem Republicanism, Marking the 200th Anniversary of the Death of Thomas Paine.