The Queen

[George Hannah]

Don't get the upset with a President. I couldn't give a toss what the top dog is called as long as it is democratically elected and we can get rid of it in elections no more than 4 to 5 years down the line - kind of like now only without a twat in a crown and fur coat swanning around.
The Parasite might have powers to dissolve parliament etc, but let's be honest she ain't gonna do that anytime soon and ANY government of the day tends to do what the fuck it wants and feather its nest with or without her approval.
It's all just airy-fairy bollocks.

The Queen is not elected but she can be dispensed with democratically .

 

[Wilf Wild 1937]

Don't really think she as to act famous to be honest what with being probably the most famous and recognised woman in the World, and when I was in the states in the early 80s and they were telling me how great Thatcher was as a British leader I took great pride in telling them how my leader lived in a big palace in London and ruled by divine right not the votes of a minority of the public.

When I lived there in the early '90s I also told them the truth about Thatcher.
When they knew how large parts of British industry had been destroyed by her their views changed.
I did always though side with them on the Republic v Monarchy issue. It always makes me laugh that
people in this country think Americans yearn for a Monarchy, when they fought for Independence
from, it just because a few eccentrics fly over for Royal Weddings etc .

Are you sure that's what independence was about?

If you look back at the events surrounding the "American Revolution" then most people assume it was
all about "no taxation without representation" but it was actually more complex than that. There had
already been "Americans" in the House of Lords although they had all come to live in England. When
war looked imminent the British Government offered the Americans seats in the House of Commons
on a similar basis as to how they were allocated in Britain at the time. How this would have worked
given the distances involved I don't know but it was proposed .The rebels, who weren't universally
supported in America, rejected this proposal on the grounds that they wanted a true democracy.
Interestingly enough when Washington and his mates, helped by the French, achieved power they
didn't create a true democracy. Not only were blacks and women excluded but large sections of
the white male population as well. Going back to the "taxation" issue the average American was
on twice the wage of the average wage in Britain at the time and the "taxation" was primarily to
be used for military spending to defend America from foreign (presumably French) threats. The rebels
deemed this threat not to be real since the French had already been driven out of Canada and
indeed they became their principle ally. If I'm to speculate I would say that there probably would have
been fears amongst the Americans (especially the business community) that if there was a large
American funded "British" military presence within America then punitive taxation may have followed.
I'm guessing that this military presence would probably have included significant numbers of
Americans in the pay of the Crown. The Crown was a very emotive issue at the time.

 

[Mike D]

OK, this is not a thread about the monarchy per se, that you are either for or against.

I was just interested in your thoughts about HRH.

Personally. I think she has done a pretty decent job, hardly put a foot wrong in sixty years and not been involved in anything controversial,.... except maybe staying at Balmoral for a few days when Diana died, and public opinion went against her for a short while.

She's had a life all that waving and having to meet up with all those lesser everyday folk and listen to them as well that's hard work. Then all the other shit that she has to do like deliverying that speech on Christmas when the rest of us are waiting for her to finish so we can tuck into our Christmas dinner my heart bleeds for her during such times. God bless your Ma'm.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

That's because they keep electing wankers.

possibly so - but has there ever been a good one?

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

 

[mcmanus]

Another interesting debate on monarchy.
If there is no Queen, we would have, in common with some other countries, a president as head of state. It has been pointed out on here the delightful prospect of a Blair, Brown, Cameron figure lording it over us, a prospect that even most Republicans would quail at. The French presidency appears to cost three times as much as our monarchy, so arguments about value for money need to address this fact.

I'd do it for a quid.

 

[Anonymous]

possibly so - but has there ever been a good one?

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

What, Orly?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

What, Orly?

Sometimes you're as Dulles fuck.

 

[mcmanus]

possibly so - but has there ever been a good one?

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

Funny you mention that as New York has an airport called JFK which is named after George Washington.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

Funny you mention that as New York has an airport called JFK which is named after George Washington.

A bit like John Lennon Airport in Liverpool which was actually named after Bob Monkhouse

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

De Gaulle? We've done alright with presidents for the most part in Ireland over the last 20 years or so but I think we've been pretty lucky with some of the candidates as well.

Isn't it weird that De Gaulle had the same name as the airport in Paris?

Funny you mention that as New York has an airport called JFK which is named after George Washington.

Trevor Ringway was a well known plane-spotter from Styal.