great video there,i needt o visit some of these islands in the sun,wish i had more money

I think lineage and wealth are equally abhorrent bases upon which people might consider themselves as being a higher (read better) class of person. There are a shit load of rich people who are complete arseholes. And there are plenty of not-so-wealthy people who have highly admirable characters.

No frickin' expensive and divisive presidential elections every X number of years (albeit we still have frickin expensive and divisive parliamentary elections every X number of years, but so do democratic republics - except for countries that call themselves "the Democratic Republic of XXXX" because they are almost always completely and utterly undemocratic and would be better off as constitutional Monarchies).

Arguably it's better to have a head of state who must do the job than one who wants the job. Also, growing up and being trained to be the head of state from childhood isn't all that bad of a way to develop your head of state. I dunno who's had the run of worst heads of state between the USA and Britain since the election of the first US president. There have been some bad kings and some bad presidents (though exactly who has been bad depends on your ideological slant). On the other hand Britain has had 2 female heads of state over those centuries and the USA has had none. BUT the US has had one non-white HoS whereas Britain might never have one. Though it would be nice to think that Prince Willy's kids might marry into a bit of colour; Lord knows the Windsors are a pasty lot.