Highgate Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 33 minutes ago, jono said: I love a good debate ! The thing is Highgate .. The very arcane powers you describe re Diego Garcia might very well be invested in some future president and reverse engineering my contention by saying the monarchy can't claim any credit for where we are now is just a whisker offside. If we were in a mess would it then not be monarchies fault ? I noted your candidates and felt they were amusing and thoughtful in varying degrees. I am not sure though they would all be entirely willing, capable or would all meet the universal appeal and respect criteria. As to the Republic of Ireland, I have to agree with you. Although I don't follow things in depth, whenever anything has come from the Irish presidency it has always seems measured and with the right level of eminence gris that a presidency should voice. hey ho .. I can't fault your logic and I do think we have a very unusual set of circumstances and encumbents in the uk. I am a solid monarchist but not a blind monarchist. Even hereditary monarchs can only rule for so long without popular consent. it is just the methodology behind election, succession and entitlement that is a little perculiar. Get it wrong and they get thrown out in no lesser way than a president. Well that's another advantage of a presidency over a monarchy, the candidates get to choose for themselves whether they are willing or not. My point about Diego Garcia is just to illustrate that the monarchy is not entirely harmless in it's current state as is the popular belief. But yes,an elected president could have the same powers, but wouldn't it the switch from monarchy to republic be a good opportunity to get rid of some ridiculous laws? Honestly, if a country is in a mess, I would blame the government/parliament for it. They are responsible for legislation after all. In Europe monarchies have generally very little to with how the country operates, the state of it's economy etc. It's the statement that is made by maintaining a monarchy that bothers me, the slap in the face to egalitarian and democratic principles. The concept that some people are just born 'better', with all the attendant lords and ladies who while not being as majestic as the royals are still better than ordinary people. The notion that Britain would somehow be less British without them, and I'm not referring to your posts here, seems to me absurd. Many monarchs of the past weren't remotely British in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostyn6 Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 she should be living off state pension and fuel allowance by now. Why hasn't she retired? The royals are all inbred lizards leeching off the population whilst living out their sick desires and secret rituals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 No fan of the Phone Hacker..... but agree with the sentiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoetheRam Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Hopefully all the ravens in the Tower of London are making plans to fly the nest sometime soon. Shame Cromwell was such a nobber, gave republicanism a bad name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highgate Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 6 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said: she should be living off state pension and fuel allowance by now. Why hasn't she retired? The royals are all inbred lizards leeching off the population whilst living out their sick desires and secret rituals. We'll put you in the 'undecided' column'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 They're completely irrelevant to me & my life but while their existence provides a nett benefit to the economy then I'm in favour of keeping them. If the economics of having them ever tips the other way then get rid. We'd have to spend that money on the palace regardless of whether they lived there. Isn't it supposed to be costing 10 times as much as that to do the Houses of Parliament up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 54 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said: she should be living off state pension and fuel allowance by now. Why hasn't she retired? The royals are all inbred lizards leeching off the population whilst living out their sick desires and secret rituals. Seeing as she is living in a council house, while she's working and not claiming benefits she doesn't have to pay the bedroom tax, which in her case would be about £35m a year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Surely no coincidence that in the same week as a former colony's new head of state is pictured in front of gold plated doors, Brenda slaps in a renovation bill of £370m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 1 hour ago, JoetheRam said: Hopefully all the ravens in the Tower of London are making plans to fly the nest sometime soon. Shame Cromwell was such a nobber, gave republicanism a bad name. I think it was in "1066 and all that " when discussing the cromwellian period .. The authors described The Cavaliers as "wrong but romantic" and the Puritans as "right but repulsive" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringerBell Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 10 hours ago, Tony Le Mesmer said: Appreciate the kind words Paul. Me likewise. We can't all agree all of the time otherwise it would be a bit dull. I think as I've got older my resistance to the Royals has all but disappeared. A bit like many things I was so passionate about until you accept they are not really worth the energy anymore. Ultimately they're here to stay, I don't dislike them, just the priveleges they enjoy simply by being born and so let them crack on with their lives and us crack on with ours. It is 2016 after all eh Stringer? Who IS that bloke in the picture anyway? Oh sorry thought you'd recognise him, it's John Oliver from Last Week Tonight. Although it could have just as easily been Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Both are famous for saying it's the current year when justifying their position, which doesn't really make sense when you stop and think about it. It's a meme. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/come-on-it-s-2015-current-year?full=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zag zig Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 11 hours ago, SillyBilly said: I voted for the Royal family but my view may change when the Queen dies. I am a huge admirer of hers - I was born with her as head of state (like the vast majority of this country) and see her as something of an institution personified. I don't care how rich you'd make me, I would not want to be on the job until my 90's or 100's with the constant pressure to be "on" and behaving in a certain way, I am happy with my lot thanks! I can imagine there must be loads of days when she can't be arsed to cut a ribbon in some no mark place but is always there, without fail. She deseves to see the clock out, I will pay my respects to her service and review my position on royalty thereafter. The Queen's "work ethic" from her highly privileged position is probably her saving grace in my eyes, I used to be a staunch for King(or Queen) type patriot, then I toured Britannia and heard a story when in active service, the crew were not allowed to speak to the royals unless spoken to. The idea they could be cooped up with them, for how many days and not allowed to instigate a conversation, just made me quite nauseous walking round that yacht. I'll let her and the Greek see their time out, with the top medical care she will receive, but the one following her does nothing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Le Mesmer Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 1 hour ago, StringerBell said: Oh sorry thought you'd recognise him, it's John Oliver from Last Week Tonight. Although it could have just as easily been Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Both are famous for saying it's the current year when justifying their position, which doesn't really make sense when you stop and think about it. It's a meme. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/come-on-it-s-2015-current-year?full=1 Never heard of either never mind recognise them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHorseRam Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 12 hours ago, eddie said: Where, Germany? To be fair, we are descended from mostly Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, Danes, etc, so a German-extracted Royal family is not that big a shocker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHorseRam Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 10 hours ago, jono said: I think it was in "1066 and all that " when discussing the cromwellian period .. The authors described The Cavaliers as "wrong but romantic" and the Puritans as "right but repulsive" To be honest, it was the seventeenth century. Both sides would have hung the posters on here from an oak tree like a Christmas decoration if they felt like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHorseRam Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 11 hours ago, Mafiabob said: No fan of the Phone Hacker..... but agree with the sentiment Piers for President? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 2 minutes ago, WhiteHorseRam said: Piers for President? The switchboard would be overworked at Downing St if so....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHorseRam Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 2 minutes ago, Mafiabob said: The switchboard would be overworked at Downing St if so....... I am not a fan. Leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 22 minutes ago, WhiteHorseRam said: To be fair, we are descended from mostly Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, Danes, etc, so a German-extracted Royal family is not that big a shocker. Going back further, we are entirely descended from people from the Horn of Africa/Rift Valley region, possibly Ethiopia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sith Happens Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 4 minutes ago, eddie said: Going back further, we are entirely descended from people from the Horn of Africa/Rift Valley region, possibly Ethiopia. Thats utter madness dont you know, dont you know humans migrating only started with the formation of the EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gritstone Ram Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 5 minutes ago, eddie said: Going back further, we are entirely descended from people from the Horn of Africa/Rift Valley region, possibly Ethiopia. Or simple organic compounds about 4 billion years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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