Writes R.J. Stove:

Seems July 4 is also Independence Day for the Kingdom of Tonga, which on this day in 1970 formally sloughed British control – with so little hard feeling that the populace remains wildly Anglophile, as evidenced by the report from the Tonga Star (‘news
you can trust’) of the recent cocktail party for the birthday of
Elizabeth II.

I am pleased to report that Tonga remains a Hoppean dream of real monarchy, under the benign if obese rule of 86-year-old super-size-me monarch Tupou IV.

Not only that, but it appears to see its role in world affairs as one of minding its own damn business. (This description once applied to a fair few mightier countries.) His Majesty’s public utterances are not only few, but when they do occur, are notably free from demands to ‘export democracy’ or to ‘liberate’ Islamic females by Britneyish dress codes. Nor does Tonga take kindly to outside interference, as Tonga Star columnist Sione Ake Mokofisi makes clear. I quote:

‘With due respect, Tongan Government spokeswoman Eseta Fusitu’a missed a golden opportunity. She blew her chance to rebuke U.S. Ambassador David Lyon during is official visit to Tonga, January 14-16. When did Tonga start taking orders from America? Who the hell does Mr. Lyon think he is? He’s not Secretary of State Colin Powell, nor is he Vice-President Dick Chenney [sic]. But arrogantly, he contrived the audacity to trample on Tonga’s overeignty in issuing threats against two of Tonga’s highest Government officials…. Please Mr. Ambassador, don’t be mistaken. The “Friendly Islands” credulousness is not a sign of an inferiority complex.’

The whole piece is here.

So on this July 4, why not drink a toast to decent, feisty, Christian Tonga?

The Best of Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.