I visited some formerly communist nations in Eastern Europe recently. These countries once had monarchs, aristocrats, clergy but they now just relics of a bygone age. Still, these were very pleasant countries to visit and despite being poor they maintain a level of social coherence that doesn't exist in say the UK with its still existing, albeit power limited, aristocracy and monarchy. I have heard the argument for maintaining these grossly outdated institutions as a means of attracting tourists, but plenty of people visit castles and manors in those countries I went to. They are meant to be museums, the people who once lived in them and their posterity are completely irrelevant and taxes shouldn't be used to compensate their useless lifestyles.
