Monarchists - You can't have it both ways

I am a republican.

No don't worry - not a Republican, a republican. I believe the UK (and all other monarchies) should be a democracy - they should get rid of the Monarchy and become a republic.

Most of the time when I enter debate about this, the Monarchist side will usually come up with the following points:

1. They're great for tourism - the UK would lose so much money if they got rid of the Royals.
2. They do no harm.
3. They don't impede democracy, they have no actual role in government.
4. They're great for tourism
5. The UK is a constitutional monarchy - it is simply an effective way of having a head of state who has no executive functions.
6. They're great for tourism.

Now - anyone who can read and add up will realise that there are actually only 2 arguments here, one repeated so many times that people think its true, without any actual proof is that they are great for tourism. The other three supposed reasons are in fact also just one - they actually don't do anything - so they're doing no harm.

Ignoring the fact that they are a really really expensive redundancy - the interesting thing is that this point actually undermines the only other point monarchists have - and particularly Jewish monarchists.

I was recently accused of being unpatriotic because I did not want to say a prayer for the queen. I was told - how could I not want to honour the monarch of this country which gave so many of our grandparents refuge. Ignoring the fact that the Royals were probably very sympathetic to many of the people organising the pogroms and mass murder which forced us to flee - this often heard canard should theoretically completely undermine the main point of monarchists - IF the monarchy has nothing to do with actual government, then the monarchy had nothing to do with our receiving refuge! So - Monarchists can't have it both ways. Either the Monarchy are not involved in government, and therefore had nothing to do with the country giving Jews refuge, or the Monarchy does involve itself in government - in which case there is no democratic process.

Really - i despair!