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Monarchy
- Thread starter GabberMan
- Start date
The monarchy is like a benign tumour on your ass. You can feel it, you can see it, its not really harmful it just has an occasional itch you have to scratch. You put up with it for a while, but then you start to forget about it, its been there so long, so unobtrusive that it becomes part of the scenery on your ass.
But then one day it acts up, needs pampered, irritates you unless you wrap it in silk underwear, expensive ointments and after a while youve had enough. So you do the only thing you can do, you have someone qualified cut it out, remove every piece of the useless lump of flesh and then burn the remains so theres nothing left of it to remember.
After some healing time, your ass is spotless, not a blemish and after a while you start to wonder what all the fuss was about, in fact, you cant even remember what it looked like. All you know is it cost you money, gave you nothing in return and you are glad to see it gone.
DreamSparrow
Will fuck for FreeOnes!
I don't really care all that much - far more important to me is reform of the House of Lords, proportional representation, and a written constitution.
If we were to become a republic, I certainly wouldn't want to adopt the American (or French) systems, where the President retains powers which were essentially modelled after those wielded old kings of Europe. Would you really want Britain to become a country where the guy at the top hardly ever visits parliament to be grilled face-to-face by your directly elected representatives? How close is that to the spirit of egalitarianism and consensus that democracy is supposed to engender?
I'd much rather have a President who operates in a largely ceremonial capacity, as in countries like Ireland, but if that's too much hassle, the ceremonial Queen will do - at least for now.
If we were to become a republic, I certainly wouldn't want to adopt the American (or French) systems, where the President retains powers which were essentially modelled after those wielded old kings of Europe. Would you really want Britain to become a country where the guy at the top hardly ever visits parliament to be grilled face-to-face by your directly elected representatives? How close is that to the spirit of egalitarianism and consensus that democracy is supposed to engender?
I'd much rather have a President who operates in a largely ceremonial capacity, as in countries like Ireland, but if that's too much hassle, the ceremonial Queen will do - at least for now.
DreamSparrow
Will fuck for FreeOnes!
Also, we often wonder why it is that presidents like Obama and Sarkozy seem to be so glamorous compared to our flawed, all too human Prime Ministers. Part of it has to do with the fact that being the Prime Minister of Britian means you have to get very used to getting bollocked in public on a regular basis. British politicians aren't adored very often at all - more often than not, those poppies that grow too tall, find themselves quickly clipped a little closer to the ground. That makes it a hell of a lot harder to build a cult of personality, and come across like a celebrity/god/messiah.
Blair was criticised for being presidential in style thanks to his huge majority in the House of Commons, but let's not forget his words on leaving it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNZB_yb6SQ Personally, I always want the guy at the top to feel that.
Blair was criticised for being presidential in style thanks to his huge majority in the House of Commons, but let's not forget his words on leaving it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNZB_yb6SQ Personally, I always want the guy at the top to feel that.
Boobinator
Would you hit it?
Wuhuut, she got a tasty body! Damn those boobies, I wanna suck em! 
Someone make me royal!
Someone make me royal!
I voted "remove"
I have nothing against the Queen or the rest of them (except the sponging loafers who are 127th in line) but I do have a problem with my Head of State being unelected.
Now she probably does a far better job than someone who was elected, earns Britain money (through tourism) and pays more in than she takes out (so I gather) but I still want...
An elected Head of State
The House of Lords elected
All royal titles and all this "Sir" bollocks got rid of
A written constitution
Can I have this by next week please?
I have nothing against the Queen or the rest of them (except the sponging loafers who are 127th in line) but I do have a problem with my Head of State being unelected.
Now she probably does a far better job than someone who was elected, earns Britain money (through tourism) and pays more in than she takes out (so I gather) but I still want...
An elected Head of State
The House of Lords elected
All royal titles and all this "Sir" bollocks got rid of
A written constitution
Can I have this by next week please?
Hypergalaxy
Fuck the rest, Freeones is the best!
I Voted Maintain.. I Personally think the Uk has it far better then most countries
The president might not have to go face to face with members of the other party in an arguing match (Which is a sham half the time anyhow IMO.), but it's a system with real checks and balances. He can't pass laws without the legislator, which is something I think is much more important than getting a chance to argue with him. It's real leverage. I would much rather have that. In a parliamentary system the only check is the judiciary, and without a constitution or any entrenched rights, but with a system having parliamentary supremacy, a lot of the time what the legislator says is what's law and everybody must do anyhow or they can pretty much change whatever they want. If the PM has the majority of parliament on his side in most types of parliamentary systems there is very little he can't do. Here the legislator or even a couple of swing voters can act as an obstacle and vice versa, and there is a document that's the supreme law of the land that nothing supersedes to guarantee rights. In a lot of parliamentary systems people rights are whatever the parliament tells them they are at that moment. Other than the fact our president has nearly complete control over the military, and the federal executive branch of government I think he has less power than most PM around the world in a lot of ways.
juanantonio
Online here 365 days per year.
rem
tartanterrier
Is somewhere outhere.
Deport them all to Zimbabwe
I voted "remove"
I have nothing against the Queen or the rest of them (except the sponging loafers who are 127th in line) but I do have a problem with my Head of State being unelected.
Now she probably does a far better job than someone who was elected, earns Britain money (through tourism) and pays more in than she takes out (so I gather) but I still want...
An elected Head of State
The House of Lords elected
All royal titles and all this "Sir" bollocks got rid of
A written constitution
Can I have this by next week please?
This is the paradox isn't it-that the present system is wrong in every respect except that it works better than anything else!
The old unelected House of Lords was absolutely brilliant in its revising role, it consisted of a lot of educated people who judged each piece of legislation on its merits without splitting on party lines.They weren't subject to outside pressures like Party whips and surprisingly enough voted down just as much legislation from the Tories as from Labour.
An elected Upper House will just give us more of the same as we have in the Commons , we need fewer politicians and more people of the world to do the job.
I'm a pragmatist , go for whatever works best.
Wainkerr99
Closed Account
The finer details of political governance aside, it would appear that the people of Britain nonetheless are comfortable with the Monarchy.
They go to bed at night perhaps thinking in the back of their minds that the Queen will be there the next day.
I am reminded of the little girl who brought flowers to the Queen at the funeral of the late Princess Di. The Queen thought they were yet more to be laid at the gates for Diana, until the little girl said: "These are for you ma'am."
That did happen.
A day may come when as a nation the British will decide that the Monarchy is no longer relevant to their national psyche.
Hopefully a completely new form or governance will have arisen by that time. One that makes more sense. Most daily struggles are about land ownership, education, jobs, worker issues and the like. These will always be there.
On a broader scale, however, it is with caution that other nations approach the British Monarchy, as they know the British people will, imo, be extremely unhappy should anyone endanger them.
I think that people still rally behind the Queen - and, most important of all, the Queen behind her people.
To this end, although I voted reform, there are days I really wish the Monarchy had more clout.
They go to bed at night perhaps thinking in the back of their minds that the Queen will be there the next day.
I am reminded of the little girl who brought flowers to the Queen at the funeral of the late Princess Di. The Queen thought they were yet more to be laid at the gates for Diana, until the little girl said: "These are for you ma'am."
That did happen.
A day may come when as a nation the British will decide that the Monarchy is no longer relevant to their national psyche.
Hopefully a completely new form or governance will have arisen by that time. One that makes more sense. Most daily struggles are about land ownership, education, jobs, worker issues and the like. These will always be there.
On a broader scale, however, it is with caution that other nations approach the British Monarchy, as they know the British people will, imo, be extremely unhappy should anyone endanger them.
I think that people still rally behind the Queen - and, most important of all, the Queen behind her people.
To this end, although I voted reform, there are days I really wish the Monarchy had more clout.
jakeballs77
Kneel before my awesomeness!
At the very least the more prominent royals appear to realise that their place in modern society is to represent britain in a reasonabl dignified manner which is more than our politicians are capable of.
deltaoscarbravo
Private Messages; please send me some!
Good question.
I've discussed this with my British inlaws and friends.
They have very high regard for Queen Elizabeth (the saying for Queen and Country, comes to mind).
As an Irishman, I have to say that I am indifferent to Her Majesty.
I'm neither pro/anti monarchy.
She does a good job and earns huge revenue for UK (through tourism etc).
It rumoured that she may well visit our country in the next year or so.
The last British monarch to visit this country was Victoria in 1900.
It would be a good thing if she visited - it would be a sign that relations between our nations have normalised,
A paradox really-it's got everything wrong with it except that it works better than anything else.
As for an elected House of Lords , what will another bunch of politicians do that the Commons don't do already? A reforming chamber needs to have different types of people in it who can take a wider view.That's why it was superb when it was hereditary because the Lords were independent and basically judged all legislation on its merits.Although it might be imagined they would be pro-Tory they in fact blocked 300 Tory bills when they were in government.It all boils down to a choice-do you want the best reforming chamber possible or make do with a poor quality one which is politically more correct?
As for an elected House of Lords , what will another bunch of politicians do that the Commons don't do already? A reforming chamber needs to have different types of people in it who can take a wider view.That's why it was superb when it was hereditary because the Lords were independent and basically judged all legislation on its merits.Although it might be imagined they would be pro-Tory they in fact blocked 300 Tory bills when they were in government.It all boils down to a choice-do you want the best reforming chamber possible or make do with a poor quality one which is politically more correct?
titsrock
I'm too lazy to set a usertitle.
Appears Princess Eugenie of York is all for a republic, judging by her bikini...
Is it too late to declare this babe IMMENSELY BANGEABLE??:nanner::boobies::hit:
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