Last Say On The Jubilee...maybe

[34064 Fighter Command]

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, people packed the riverbanks in London Sunday to watch a boat carrying her and her family along the Thames amid a flotilla of 1,000 other ships. In some ways, the fuss over a monarch with an odd family and largely ceremonial duties helps explain the English writer George Orwell’s famous complaint about his country’s “obstinate clinging to everything that is out of date and a nuisance.”

This was a 'lead in' for an article in the Boston Globe, USA............does it agree with you?, Surprise you? or annoy you?

To an extent it annoys me. The British Monarchy is something quite unique in this 'modern' world of Presidents, Tin-Pot dictators, Tyrants and Banana Republics.

Could you imagine the Germans doing the same for 60 years of Angela Merkels presidencey, or the French for Francois Hollande

I think we can all thank our lucky stars that last weekends celebration wasn't for 80 years of Adolf Hitlers 'European' Fuhrership - if it had been I suspect many of us won't have been around to see it.

What I see there is a snide but telling remark that the Americans rather regret dumping the British monarchy and replacing it with a no-mark presidency. Let's face it, could you imagine any of their Presidents commanding the kind of universal respect that our Queen does.

 

[Kumquat]

To an extent it annoys me. The British Monarchy is something quite unique in this 'modern' world of Presidents, Tin-Pot dictators, Tyrants and Banana Republics.

Could you imagine the Germans doing the same for 60 years of Angela Merkels presidencey, or the French for Francois Hollande

I think we can all thank our lucky stars that last weekends celebration wasn't for 80 years of Adolf Hitlers 'European' Fuhrership - if it had been I suspect many of us won't have been around to see it.

What I see there is a snide but telling remark that the Americans rather regret dumping the British monarchy and replacing it with a no-mark presidency. Let's face it, could you imagine any of their Presidents commanding the kind of universal respect that our Queen does.

No I don't think they would spend vast amounts of money on celebrating the anniversary of a system of Government, especially at a time when people are struggling. Don't think we should either.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Exactly. I'm afraid royalists will believe anything they're told when it comes to propping up our unelected head of state. I find it very odd that people are so afraid of one man one vote.

No-one's 'afraid' of it at all. But just look at the calibre of the politicians we are expected to elect. To a man ( or woman ) , they are universally sh!t. Regardless of their political persuasion.

Would you really like to see President 'storming' Norman Baker?

Now I might not necessarily agree with the amount of money spent on the monarchy, but the fact that it exists above and beyond political posturing, is a very good thing indeed, when it comes to keeping this Country on an even keel, and keeping politicians in check.

 

[Simster]

What I see there is a snide but telling remark that the Americans rather regret dumping the British monarchy and replacing it with a no-mark presidency.

What a breathtakingly ignorant and indeed arrogant thing to say.

Let's face it, could you imagine any of their Presidents commanding the kind of universal respect that our Queen does.

I've no idea whether the Queen has universal respect or not. It's certainly the case that she didn't set foot on Irish soil for 70 years until only last year. And I'd say that American presidents are at least as widely and universally respected wherever they go, maybe more so. Why wouldn't they be?

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

No I don't think they would spend vast amounts of money on celebrating the anniversary of a system of Government, especially at a time when people are struggling. Don't think we should either.

But the French do, every Bastille day on 14th July - usually with a MASSIVE parade through Paris. In fact they have more national holidays celebrating their revolution than we have for Jubilees, Coronations etc.

 

[Simster]

Now I might not necessarily agree with the amount of money spent on the monarchy, but the fact that it exists above and beyond political posturing, is a very good thing indeed, when it comes to keeping this Country on an even keel, and keeping politicians in check.

But anyone could be elected to do that job. And the beauty of electing a (ideally non-political) head of state is that they are then accountable to the people who elect them.

 

[BLOCK F]

To an extent it annoys me. The British Monarchy is something quite unique in this 'modern' world of Presidents, Tin-Pot dictators, Tyrants and Banana Republics.

Could you imagine the Germans doing the same for 60 years of Angela Merkels presidencey, or the French for Francois Hollande

I think we can all thank our lucky stars that last weekends celebration wasn't for 80 years of Adolf Hitlers 'European' Fuhrership - if it had been I suspect many of us won't have been around to see it.

What I see there is a snide but telling remark that the Americans rather regret dumping the British monarchy and replacing it with a no-mark presidency. Let's face it, could you imagine any of their Presidents commanding the kind of universal respect that our Queen does.

Hmmm,the Queen does have one huge advantage over any number of Presidents in that she does not have to take any 'nasty decisions' that may or may not go down with the electorate.This does help her ride the bad times that elected individuals are unable to avoid.
I would rather have the Monarchy than a clapped out politician as a president,but there was a time when the Queen was far from popular in this country such as in the aftermath of Diana's death.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

But anyone could be elected to do that job. And the beauty of electing a (ideally non-political) head of state is that they are then accountable to the people who elect them.

I don't see how you can seperate an election from politics, simply because running an election campaign COSTS, in fact it probably would be more expensive than organising a coronation.

The Americans have tried and failed to seperate the head of state from politics - for every Democratic President you can find millions of Republicans who dislike him, and vice-versa.

We already have an executive that is accountable to the people who elect them - it's called Parliament. If you really want to see reform then the monarchy isn't the problem, it's the House of Lords that's the problem.

 

[Albumen]

I'm glad my tax pounds went on a big celebration rather than another f***ing cycle lane.

Funnily enough I went on a cycle ride instead of watching a celebration of someone for keeping her million paid job she was born into for 60 years.

I hope you enjoyed Robbie, yo!

 

[Kumquat]

But the French do, every Bastille day on 14th July - usually with a MASSIVE parade through Paris. In fact they have more national holidays celebrating their revolution than we have for Jubilees, Coronations etc.

Fair point. Not sure how much they spend on Bastille Day. But that is to celebrate the end of feudalism in France and the recognition of rights given to the common man. I think that's much more noble than celebrating the opulence of an elite outdated ruling class.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

And what a out the losses involved with the extra bank holiday? I recall this was more than 1.9 billion.

The research shows that nearly all of this cost (lost output) will be recouped over the next few months. i.e. the net effect is low

 

[Simster]

I don't see how you can seperate an election from politics, simply because running an election campaign COSTS, in fact it probably would be more expensive than organising a coronation.

The Americans have tried and failed to seperate the head of state from politics - for every Democratic President you can find millions of Republicans who dislike him, and vice-versa.

We already have an executive that is accountable to the people who elect them - it's called Parliament. If you really want to see reform then the monarchy isn't the problem, it's the House of Lords that's the problem.

Ah, the house of Lords - made up in part by aristocratic peers and bishops appointed by the one religion tied up with the state and is indeed an institution which the Queen heads. Sorry, you were saying?

And why would we follow an American model of presidency? The American presidents heads the senate, which is not something I'd want to see.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The research shows that nearly all of this cost (lost output) will be recouped over the next few months. i.e. the net effect is low

I didn't think this was the case? If you loose a day of GDP its gone forever.

 

[Simster]

I didn't think this was the case? If you loose a day of GDP its gone forever.

Exactly. What absolute nonsense.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Biggest load of bull considering they fought a war to break away from said Royals, and celebrate that fact every single year.

You obviously haven't met many Americans!

They LOVE our History, Culture, Tradition and Royal Family.

Yes, they celebrate their Independence on the 4th of July,and rightly so - but they are indeed very envious of what we have here in the UK.

 

[Billy the Fish]

And I'd say that American presidents are at least as widely and universally respected wherever they go, maybe more so. Why wouldn't they be?

Because of all the countries they've invaded over the last few decades perhaps

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Exactly. What absolute nonsense.

And I can absolutely guarantee anyone on this site I will not be working an extra second, let alone a day, to make up for the time I spent horizontal on my sofa hung over yesterday.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You obviously haven't met many Americans!

They LOVE our History, Culture, Tradition and Royal Family.

Yes, they celebrate their Independence on the 4th of July,and rightly so - but they are indeed very envious of what we have here in the UK.

Rubbish. They're maybe interested but not envious.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Fair point. Not sure how much they spend on Bastille Day. But that is to celebrate the end of feudalism in France and the recognition of rights given to the common man. I think that's much more noble than celebrating the opulence of an elite outdated ruling class.

Fair point, but even if you abolished the monarchy tomorrow, all that opulence still exists. The French didn't knock down the Palace of Versaille just because they guillotined Louis XVI, and even we restored the monarchy in 1660, after 11 extremely bloody years of Parliamentary rule.

If you study Oliver Cromwell's campaigns in Ireland and Scotland it's quite easy to understand why we should be wary of allowing parliament unlimited power to rule in this Country - Cromwell's zeal in trying to exterminate Catholicism ranks close to those of other dictators of more recent times, Stalin in particular.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I don't see how you can seperate an election from politics, simply because running an election campaign COSTS, in fact it probably would be more expensive than organising a coronation.

The Americans have tried and failed to seperate the head of state from politics - for every Democratic President you can find millions of Republicans who dislike him, and vice-versa.

We already have an executive that is accountable to the people who elect them - it's called Parliament. If you really want to see reform then the monarchy isn't the problem, it's the House of Lords that's the problem.

Agreed.

Unelected House of Lords, and Unelected technocrats in Brussels making and changing laws that affect us all are a FAR bigger issue.

And, you know what I LOVE to see these Republicans try to justify their thoughts - because whatever they may come up with, none of it matters, as nothing is going to change. The popularity of the Royal Family is pretty much at an all time high. With Kate and William around, the future is pretty much assured.

I see there was a 'Counter Demonstration' of Republicans over the weekend, that mustered 1,000. WOW, the establishment must be quaking in their boots.