>>17867776I'm a republican, to me, the monarchy makes no sense whatsoever. It's a medieval relic. But... the way some people defend it... I mean, I try to put myself in the shoes of a monarchist or a traditionalist, and I ask myself: why on earth are you defending the Bourbons? Honestly, I don’t care one dynasty over another, but seriously, what good have the Bourbons ever brought to Spain? The trend of marrying your cousins? That already existed, sure, but they really took it to the next level, they fully committed to the whole inbreeding thing.
What else have they brought? The ruin of the nation? I mean, ever since the Bourbons arrived, Spain has done nothing but decline. Some monarchists come at me like, ‘No, but in such-and-such year we gained territory’, come on. The reality is, since their arrival, it’s been a state of absolute chronic decay. Even worse than under Charles II. Just look, their arrival led to the loss of Gibraltar, to a pirate island, no less.
So I ask again: what have the Bourbons ever contributed to Spain? Honestly, I’ll say it outright, apart from being the most reactionary and damaging force to this country, what exactly have they done that's worth defending? I don’t get it.
I can understand monarchists who want to uphold the institution and honor the national history; the Reconquista, the imperial past under the Habsburgs with the Tercios, the conquest of the Americas, the Tridentine reformation… I may not agree with them, but I get it.
But pride in the Bourbons? Really? Pride in a French family that brought ruin to Spain; both in the war against Louis XIV and once they actually took the throne? They've always been a bunch of sellouts, betraying the nation.
I would respect monarchists who defend earlier dynasties that at least brought something of value to the table, even though, as a republican, I oppose to that viewpoint. But the Bourbons? Seriously? Someone please explain it to me, because I just don’t get it.