God, it’s pathetic the way right-wingers grovel in front of the Queen, innit? Just listen to this Tory folderol from the Daily Mail:
I don’t have a problem with having a monarchy that is symbolic. After all, the Queen already plays that role, especially for the generation who lived through World War II. They do seem to revere her more than the rest of us. So I believe that while there are still those among us whose loved ones fought and died for king and country in that conflict, then we owe them a debt of respect, not only for the sacrifices they made during the war, but for the legacy of the Welfare State, which they created and handed down to us. By respecting the Queen, we respect them.
...just look at how our Queen comports herself. She does her job pretty well, playing the role of our national figurehead with diligence and decorum, giving us a sense of continuity in a world where change seems to be getting faster. My respect for our monarch is entirely personal – it is not vested in her office.
Wait… what was that about the Welfare State? Who wrote this thing, anyway? (þ: Goldacre)
Comments (6)
now going through music collection to cull...
of course, this just goes to the old joke about what one calls a communist with three kids? A republican....
Posted by thor | October 20, 2007 5:42 PM
Posted on October 20, 2007 17:42
"I don't want to change the world
I'm not looking for New England,
I'm just looking for another girl."
Looks like he found her.
BB reflects my own thoughts on the Queen vis a vis Canada. She's a mascot, but she's good at it, so why not keep her around 'til the end? Would you rather have Paul Martin on your banknotes? After she dies we'll throw a nice party for King Charles, and tell him it's a Bar Mitzvah while really we're changing the locks and putting the finishing touches on his pink slip.
Then we'll do like the Germans used to and put artists and writers on our money. (I'm thinking Colby for the $100 bill, because he's just rich. So very rich!) Or maybe we'll just put Gretzky on all denominations.
Posted by Geoff | October 21, 2007 10:13 AM
Posted on October 21, 2007 10:13
I recently attended a Canadian citizenship ceremony and watched 100 people of varying ages, ethnicities, colours, and cultures pledge allegiance to the Queen....which made me really think about Canada's head of state and such.
I now pay much more attention to Prince Charlie and the lads...since, whether I like it or not, one of them will be "my King" in the not too distant future.
Posted by thor | October 21, 2007 11:34 AM
Posted on October 21, 2007 11:34
[shakes his head]
Look, there's a long tradition about the proper procedure for handling problematical kings named Charles. And it ain't a pink slip.
Posted by Warmongering Lunatic | October 21, 2007 8:16 PM
Posted on October 21, 2007 20:16
A mitigating factor for Charles is that long-time Princes of Wales tend to ascend to the throne at a fairly old age and don't last long enough to be much of a nuisance. Examples: King George IV and King Edward VII. Consider that the current monarch's mother lived to be 100, and we can probably run another 20 years out of Charles' clock before he can impose royal mandates of organic agriculture and architectural correctness.
Posted by George Skinner | October 22, 2007 10:45 AM
Posted on October 22, 2007 10:45
Okay, but did anyone ask Billy his opinion of Egon Krenz?
Posted by KevinV | October 22, 2007 6:20 PM
Posted on October 22, 2007 18:20