Rant mode on. Royal Family

[Pablo]

"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."

[Cyberman]

The tourist argument is a bit like saying "well, we could remove the tumour, but the way it fills out your bra is very eye-catching. Also the bald/headscarf look looks so good on you."

These tourists only ever get to see the buildings, the palaces and whatnot. Are they really so shallow that they only show up because someone they themselves would most likely object to having in their country lives inside?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I'm a republican and disestablishmentarian.

The Royal Family do indeed bring in a lot of money, but what proponents of that argument never mention is the fact that several members of the family utilise their public funding to gain personal profit (eg - Duchy of Cornwall, which has assets stretching the country and beyond and pays little to no tax on any of it). The Duchy does not have to reveal its' accounts and neither does it need to declare how much of our money has gone into its coffers and how much profit Charles is gaining from it. IT operates on a commercial basis but doesn't have to pay any tax, either. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/...es-charles


There is no moral argument that can be forwarded either which can give legitimacy to an unelected and unaccountable elite which impact rather heavily behind the scenes on realworld legislation here in the UK. EG. Charles and his backdoor lobbying for homoeopathy treatments being made available on the NHS, which they now are. Now my tax money goes to paying for water to treat things it can't ever treat.

Abolish the royal family.

[Nope]

The tourist argument is a bit like saying "well, we could remove the tumour, but the way it fills out your bra is very eye-catching. Also the bald/headscarf look looks so good on you."

These tourists only ever get to see the buildings, the palaces and whatnot. Are they really so shallow that they only show up because someone they themselves would most likely object to having in their country lives inside?

I want to visit London but I am more interested in the fact that many of their museums are free then I am in seeing the royal family.

[ManMachine]

UGGGGGGGG They are antiquated toys. Not talking about my fellow humans just the stupid idea of the institution. Their weddings alone are a joke and they look like circus clowns and nutcrackers. Not to mention they are finite humans like everyone else.

Humans are not born equal, that's a fact. Few lead, most follow, that seems to be an evolved necessity. OK, that's not meant as an endorsement of the Royals as people, but the institution is a social convention the majority buy into for reasons set out above.

MM

[Fidel_Castronaut]

The tourist argument is a bit like saying "well, we could remove the tumour, but the way it fills out your bra is very eye-catching. Also the bald/headscarf look looks so good on you."

These tourists only ever get to see the buildings, the palaces and whatnot. Are they really so shallow that they only show up because someone they themselves would most likely object to having in their country lives inside?

Indeed. The loudest proponents of the royal family online I notice tend to be Americans who, lest we forget, live in a country that owes it's existence in part to the rejection of Monarchistic rule. It's almost like they think everyone in the UK is an ardent royalist and those that aren't are just being silly.

Boggles the mind.

[Brian37]

UGGGGGGGG They are antiquated toys. Not talking about my fellow humans just the stupid idea of the institution. Their weddings alone are a joke and they look like circus clowns and nutcrackers. Not to mention they are finite humans like everyone else.

Humans are not born equal, that's a fact. Few lead, most follow, that seems to be an evolved necessity. OK, that's not meant as an endorsement of the Royals as people, but the institution is a social convention the majority buy into for reasons set out above.

MM

Yes we are born equal. You are defining "equality" to resources and wealth. The planet and sun and universe don't give a shit what we gain material wise while we are alive.

If you have not read or seen Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech, google it and listen to it.

[Cyberman]

That people are born into wealth and privilege in no way means they are deserving of it.

[Brian37]

"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."

I'll have to move to England so I can get on a Liverpool. HA I made a funny.

[Faith No More]

Indeed. The loudest proponents of the royal family online I notice tend to be Americans who, lest we forget, live in a country that owes it's existence in part to the rejection of Monarchistic rule. It's almost like they think everyone in the UK is an ardent royalist and those that aren't are just being silly.

Boggles the mind.

You have to understand that Americans get their entire understanding of other cultures from the media, and right now the media loves the royal family due to the fact that Americans love the royal family. Because of that, every British person they bring on television loves the royal family, and they never see the counterpoint of the downsides of the monarchy and the people that advocate it.

It's best just to remember in any situation when you're trying to understand the American mindset that our viewpoints all exist inside of bubbles that have been shaped by the media and culture around us. Americans aren't big on actually exploring other cultures themselves, so their entire viewpoint comes from outside sources.