re: #246 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

There can be a problem when the monarch is either too stupid or feeble to be of any help. When he was of sound mind and body, the current king of Thailand was able to stop a civil war by calling in the leaders of two opposing parties and telling them under no circumstances would he allow such a thing, so they’d better mend their fences or be looking at imprisonment. Since Thais worship the Royal Family almost as gods, his intervention was useful. Now the old sucker is barely hanging onto life, and the military is using the public’s adoration of the king to the junta’s advantage, by saying they are acting with his approval.

The Crown Prince, from all reports, is a bubble-headed idiot, so it’s hard to say how he’d handle a similar situation.

Better to keep these royals around as decorations and national symbols than let them near the reins of power.

Besides, I believe Queen Elizabeth has her own special influence on the PM and MPs, short of actual intervention.

King Juan Carlos did put an end to that attempted Francoist coup in Spain by just refusing to go along with it.