Enough to make you swear

I see the latest kooky plan from Mr Brown's advisers, is to make all school-leavers swear an oath of allegiance to Queen and country (BBC News: Pupils 'to take allegiance oath') This comes against a backdrop of the Establishment promoting nationalistic jingoism dressed up as 'defending British culture', as epitomised by the BBC's hideously racistly promoted 'White season' (Socialist Worker: The truth about the 'white working class') which implies that immigration is eroding British culture. Nothing could be further than the truth; as well as contributing enormously to the British economy, immigrants have made an invaluable contribution to British society and culture.

As for the allegiance to the Queen - well, I am a republican who has no time for the bunch of hereditary parasites known as the Royal Family. They came to power many centuries ago by war and bullying, and are still an integral part of the Establishment (although, to be fair, Elizabeth II is probably the most benign monarch Britain has had to date).

They are little more than talentless and over-rated showbiz celebrities, wheeled out by the media every time they want to take our attention away, whenever the Establishment is in deep shi ... crisis. A recent example is the "big news" about Prince Harry serving in Afghanistan, reported in an 'action man' style by the Establishment media; let's all forget the 5th anniversary of the illegal and murderous war in Iraq (and the fact that the Afghanistan war is little better, either morally or in terms of success!)

Among opponents of the Royal Family, it is often stated that they are in fact German in origin. This is true, but it is also beside the point. Although the Establishment use the Royals as a symbol of the British people, British workers have more in common with German workers - or Indian, African, Japanese, Chinese, or Martian workers - than we will ever have with ruling class Establishment figures like the Queen.

Sadly, it comes as no surprise that Gordon Brown and his cronies have a hand in this ridiculous plan. His New Labour party's love affair with the capitalist Establishment yesterday plumbed new depths, as they chose a City fund manager as their new general secretary (BBC News: Labour's general secretary named). If you ask me, surely it's time the trade unions got a divorce from this increasingly unfaithful (and sometimes abusive) partner, and started supporting a party which truly looks after workers' interests!

Back to the Royals, getting rid of them would be a good start. But it would not be enough; in many capitalist republics, such as the USA, the working class is no better off than in the UK. The Royal family are merely one of the public faces of the Establishment, which includes unelected rich company bosses and owners, and top bureaucrats (such as the heads of the Police and Armed Forces). For true workers' power, all the capitalist Establishment must be done away with.

Including Brown and his cronies, his plastic opponents in the Tory party, and any politician whose 'oath of allegiance' is to the interests of the rich and powerful!