Prince Harry

[Pickman's model]

I think what Sasaferrato is actually trying to say is "shut up, doff that cap, tug that forelock, bow, scrape and with a stiff upper lip, just bloody well knuckle under, you seditious oiks"

he would say that, wouldn't he

 

[danny la rouge]

Really.

I don't hate the individuals who make up the monarchy (just think they're thicker than a whale sandwich and severely damaged); however I DO hate the institution. It shouldn't exist. It's an outdated, ridiculous, pointless, anachronism that serves no purpose and causes deep-seated mental issues for the people who are involved with it.

Is that clearer?

Pretty much agree, except that I do think it serves a purpose, and that is to perpetuate, justify and embody privilege, inegalitarian values and the deification of heredity.

“It’s just symbolic”. OK, but what does it symbolise? It symbolises the fact that even if a law is wanted by a majority and voted through Parliament, it is not valid until a guy with a magic hat, or his descendants, have given it the OK.

Well, that’s a cancer at the heart of society that needs cut out. It’s not good for society and it not good for the mental health and well-being of those involved in the archaic, invidious and ludicrous institution itself.

 

[Sue]

I think what Sasaferrato is actually trying to say is "shut up, doff that cap, tug that forelock, bow, scrape and with a stiff upper lip, just bloody well knuckle under, you seditious oiks"

It was only the other day he was talking about offing Harry. Maybe not quite the right kind of royal or something.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Skint white duke

 

[Serge Forward]

he would say that, wouldn't he

That song you posted and removed is now a bloody earworm, you scoundrel

 

[friedaweed]

Maybe in a few years they'll get a chance to tell their side of the story

That would make a good book that. Born to Di-spare.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

“It’s just symbolic”. OK, but what does it symbolise? It symbolises the fact that even if a law is wanted by a majority and voted through Parliament, it is not valid until a guy with a magic hat, or his descendants, have given it the OK.

Chomsky has a sideways take on this bit. He contends that the patent illegitimacy of the monarchy serves a purpose in weakening the authority of the state.

I can kind of see the point. While we're technically subjects, we're mostly not obliged to cow tow that much by comparison to citizens of republics like France or the US, where Respect for the Republic looms large in schooling. There are other non-monarchies that aren't at all like that, though, like Germany. Also the 'unwritten constitution' system of the UK gives a PM with a solid majority in the Commons a huge amount of power via the royal prerogative – powers that nominally lie with the monarch, but in reality lie with the government in a profoundly undemocratic manner, precisely because of that same patent illegitimacy that Chomsky refers to.

 

[Pickman's model]

That song you posted and removed is now a bloody earworm, you scoundrel

Low lie the fields of athenrye

 

[bluescreen]

I think what Sasaferrato is actually trying to say is "shut up, doff that cap, tug that forelock, bow, scrape and with a stiff upper lip, just bloody well knuckle under, you seditious oiks"

Heh, I'm not sure that's what he means, but he can tell us himself.
It's easy though, to imagine what's so commonly assumed, that the monarchy is simply some sort of benign anachronism, an ornament rather than an instrument of state.
So perhaps it can be tolerated rather than resisted.
That's until you start recognising how it's so deeprooted, and the visible royal family are mere fruitbodies of the establishment while the mycelium is carrying on its insidious work beneath the surface. If Harry has done one thing with his public airing of grievance it is to shed a little more daylight on the whole rotten system.

 

[Pickman's model]

That would make a good book that. Born to Di-spare.

My forthcoming work on the great Irish poet, playwright and wit is entitled born to be wilde

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Deserves a double-like for the fungus metaphor. Top work.

Edited: That was a metaphor not an analogy.

 

[Sasaferrato]

You can't ignore it, though, can you? It gets shoved down our fucking throats. I didn't give a fuck about the queen dying but that didn't stop the whole country from being put on hold because of it.

Meanwhile people are arrested for carrying blank placards. All very Vladimir Putin, but somehow when it happens here it's not the same. When push comes to shove, we're not actually allowed to be anti-monarchy. We are subjects not citizens.

Very glad you realise your place young man!

 

[Sasaferrato]

I think what Sasaferrato is actually trying to say is "shut up, doff that cap, tug that forelock, bow, scrape and with a stiff upper lip, just bloody well knuckle under, you seditious oiks"

No, if you don't like the monarchy, just ignore it. No one is legally required to acknowledge the monarch in any way.

I just happen to prefer a monarch to a president, President Blair anyone? Or, God forbid, Johnson?

 

[Petcha]

Can you imagine what it's like to go through your life, having been traumatised, and all the responsible adults around you basically stood back and let it happen, didn't hold the perpetrator responsible or accountable, didn't punish them in any way, shape or form?

Can you imagine what it's like, the impact on your psyche, self-esteem, character, to be left feeling so unworthy because you're fully in the knowledge that the people who could and should have intervened, didn't, the people who could and should have made a difference, didn't?

Can you imagine what it's like, when you're no longer a helpless child, and another incident occurs, and this time you speak up for yourself, you proudly advocate for yourself, bring it to the attention of those in authority, ask for action to finally be taken this time , and... they refuse? Because? Why? That law's clearly been broken. So why won't they do anything about it? Fuck!

Yeh. I can actually. And far far worse than what this fuckwit has gone through, I can assure you. And I didn't sell this grief online (and trouser the proceeds) with some weirdo who believes that Ayahuasca is the answer to mental health issues. Which for anyone who has ever experimented with that would tell you is not the wisest of choices.

I saw on the news this morning he's signed up for two more books too. Surely he'll struggle for content for that given that the first book had virtually nothing that could bring down the monarchy (which I was kinda hoping for). Other than Daddy saying he was gonna half his allowance of course.

 

[Serge Forward]

No, if you don't like the monarchy, just ignore it. No one is legally required to acknowledge the monarch in any way.

I just happen to prefer a monarch to a president, President Blair anyone? Or, God forbid, Johnson?

Have many people here been asking for a President Blair or Johnson, or even a presidential system for that matter? I know I haven't.

Though I suspect the republicans on here might prefer someone like this:

In fact, there's no reason why an elected president (acting as a mere symbolic figurehead) couldn't be someone like Lenny Henry or Mary Beard on a fixed term - not that I personally give a fuck for such shenanigans. But your hackneyed President Blair or Johnson routine shows a distinct lack of imagination, political or otherwise.

As for your:

if you don't like the monarchy, just ignore it. No one is legally required to acknowledge the monarch in any way.

Are you taking the piss? How do we do that? As others have pointed out, their ugly mug is on the money, stamps, etc, and their logo stuck on tax returns, prisons and a shit load of organisations. The papers and TV go on and on endlessly about this gang of entitled twats, all reminding us how proud and grateful we should be of the royal parasites. And make the least public protest in the street about them and see how quickly you hauled down the nick.

Admit it, you're just a great big toady.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Have many people here been asking for a President Blair or Johnson, or even a presidential system for that matter? I know I haven't.

Though I suspect the republicans on here might prefer someone like this:

In fact, there's no reason why an elected president (acting as a mere symbolic figurehead) couldn't be someone like Lenny Henry or Mary Beard on a fixed term - not that I personally give a fuck for such shenanigans. But your lack of imagination here with your hackneyed President Blair or Johnson routine shows a distinct lack of imagination, political or otherwise.

As for your:


Are you taking the piss? How do we do that? As others have pointed out, their ugly mug is on the money, stamps, etc, and their logo stuck on tax returns, prisons and a shit load of organisations. The papers and TV go on and on endlessly about this gang of entitled twats, all reminding us how proud and grateful we should be of the royal parasites. And make the least public protest in the street about them and see how quickly you hauled down the nick.

Admit it, you're just a great big toady.

You have completely misrepresented what I said.

 

[Serge Forward]

 

[littlebabyjesus]

You have completely misrepresented what I said.

This is a bit of a cliched objection, though. I agree with SF on that. If the UK were to become a republic, the easiest way to do it would be to establish an Irish/German/Italy-style system with a parliament from which government is formed and an elected head of state whose job is solely to protect constitutional matters. Lots of republics don't have powerful president-leaders like the US or French system.


After all, can you name the German or Italian or Irish president? Most people outside those countries can't, and there's a good reason for that.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

No, if you don't like the monarchy, just ignore it. No one is legally required to acknowledge the monarch in any way.

Apart from almost every single financial transaction you ever make you are obliged to give something to HMRC - If I can choose to ignore that I say let old sausage fingers reign glorious for ever.


And why a president? Why isn't the PM the head of state?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Switzerland has six presidents iirc. There are lots of different models out there. Or we could think up a new one.

 

[danny la rouge]

I just happen to prefer a monarch to a president, President Blair anyone? Or, God forbid, Johnson?

What’s your answer to Prime Ministers, then? Because believe it or not we’ve already had PM Blair and PM God Forbid Johnson.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

What’s your answer to Prime Ministers, then? Because believe it or not we’ve already had PM Blair and PM God Forbid Johnson.

Both of whom wielded the power afforded to a PM by the royal prerogative. The UK system is rotten in many ways. With a good majority in the Commons, a UK prime minister is more powerful than most elected presidents.

 

[danny la rouge]

Or we could think up a new one.

Like not have a monarch or a president.

 

[souljacker]

I just happen to prefer a monarch to a president, President Blair anyone? Or, God forbid, Johnson?

As shit as that sounds, at least we'd have voted for them as opposed to the current system that choses our ruler based on who his mum was.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Then we get to religion. The head of the Church of England, chosen by God no less, he was so sinful that he couldn't marry in a church. Just bin all this manky old bullshit once and for all.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Like not have a monarch or a president.

An upper chamber chosen by sortition would be one of my favoured options.

 

[friedaweed]

Low lie the fields of athenrye

Where once we saw King Kenny play, and could he play.

 

[Elpenor]

If the Irish model is basically to choose a nice old man as president, then let’s not do that as there are enough old men in positions of authority

 

[danny la rouge]

If the Irish model is basically to choose a nice old man as president, then let’s not do that as there are enough old men in positions of authority

I think it means kill each other for a couple of years then let Birmingham keep the king while the rest of us have a president.

 

[Elpenor]

I think it means kill each other for a couple of years then let Birmingham keep the king while the rest of us have a president.

I don’t think that’s fair on Birmingham