Does the monarchy make Britain look silly.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 08:42

Do non Brits snigger and laugh at our monarchy, one the reasons trotted out by pro monarchists for retaining the whole thing is that it is great plus with the rest of the world. I can't see it myself, I think it just makes us look old fashioned and stuffy.

On a realted point why NZ, Australia and Canada wnat to keep Liz as the haed of state is beyond me.

MRT144 · March 7, 2003, 08:51

yes. i laugh because i cant believe that people would actually support a ceremonial position, pay their way, and actually care about them as if they really mattered.

spartak · March 7, 2003, 08:53

I'm british and I think they make the country look silly.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Taz
I'm british and I think they make the country look silly.

Me too, I just suspect that on the planet only Britsih pro monarchists think otherwise

MRT144 · March 7, 2003, 09:06

what advantages does being promonarchist get you?

Daz · March 7, 2003, 09:12

I vote YAY!

...i do think it makes Britain look silly.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 09:13

Quote:

Originally posted by MRT144
what advantages does being promonarchist get you?

It enables you to live in a coccoon away from relaity in which Britain still rules the waves and everyone knows there place.

You can immedaitley take the high moral ground in any argument by saying you love you rcountry and that anyone who disagrees with you is a traitor, therby enabling them to ignore whatever argument you put forward.

Oh and you get to put flags up on golden jubilee day

CerberusIV · March 7, 2003, 09:22

You should have done this as a poll.

I do agree that the Monarchy makes us look silly but I don't think we should get rid of it.

I see 2 reasons to keep it.

1 It encourages gullible foreign tourists to come and spend money in the UK.

2 Looking at the elected heads of state other countries have - Chirac, Bush, etc. I would not want that kind of idiocy here - Tony Blair is bad enough as Prime Minister, let alone President.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 09:28

I Think tourists would come here anyway, they flock to France and their palaces.

Head of state could just some mickey mouse politician who just hands out drinks at state functions he doesn't have to do anything. Come to think of it it could be Mickey Mouse or Donald. Not Goofy though he looks like he's the result of someone sleeping with theri cousin, hang on........

FrustratedPoet · March 7, 2003, 09:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Taz
I'm british and I think they make the country look silly.

Me too

Bereta_Eder · March 7, 2003, 09:36

Couldn't care less really.

spartak · March 7, 2003, 09:36

I think there is a genuine shift away from the monarchy going on the UK at the moment. Even my parents have come to the view that the monarchy is outdated and needs to go.

Has Laz done an historical filth on the monarchy yet?

Arrian · March 7, 2003, 10:21

:shrug:

Yes and no. It's... quaint.

-Arrian

JohnT · March 7, 2003, 10:32

Of course you should keep the monarchy - why dispose of your traditions so easily? Why get rid of yet another reason for people to come to England and spend money? (We sure don't do it for the low taxes!) Why remove the only English family the rest of the world gives a crap about? Why cancel our favorite soap?

Think about it: Had it not been for Diana's death, the most noteworthy thing to happen to England in the nineties was either John Major being forced out or the Spice Girls breaking up.

Please, for your own well-being, don't do away with the monarchy. You wouldn't be England without it.

Harovan · March 7, 2003, 10:50

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnT
Think about it: Had it not been for Diana's death, the most noteworthy thing to happen to England in the nineties was either John Major being forced out or the Spice Girls breaking up.

And the mad cow disease!

On topic: Many European nations are constitutional monarchies. This doesn't make them look silly, though. The monarchs have near to no power, and are just there to attract japanese and overseas tourists. And these are who's looking silly, IMHO.

I just care a wet fart about these kings and queens.

SlowwHand · March 7, 2003, 10:52

Why pay the way for a family of figureheads ?
Look at them. Chart their exploits.
Diana was symbolic of the problem, and was only a monarch-in-law.

I have to provide a counter-weight, John.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 10:55

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnT

Of course you should keep the monarchy - why dispose of your traditions so easily? Why get rid of yet another reason for people to come to England and spend money? (We sure don't do it for the low taxes!) Why remove the only English family the rest of the world gives a crap about? Why cancel our favorite soap?

Think about it: Had it not been for Diana's death, the most noteworthy thing to happen to England in the nineties was either John Major being forced out or the Spice Girls breaking up.

Please, for your own well-being, don't do away with the monarchy. You wouldn't be England without it.

You only want us to keep it, so you can remind us of your removal of it

Boris Godunov · March 7, 2003, 10:56

What doesn't make Britain look silly?

Bah, the monarchy is fine, and certainly a tourist draw. It helps make Britain unique, distinguishing it from much of the rest of Europe. We like it, it gives the tabloids something to do.

Keep it!

JohnT · March 7, 2003, 10:57

Hell, if you get rid of the monarchy, you might as well tear down Buckingham Palace, raze Westminister Chapel, and blow up that stupid clock while you're at it.

Az · March 7, 2003, 10:59

I thought about it a lot, and came to the stunning conclusion:

Yes. It is silly, and makes you look silly. HOWEVER, you know what's REALLY silly? to have a President in a Parliamentary Republic. A monarch in a constitutional monarchy is a guy whos ancestors had lots of influence and importance, but who's now totally redundant. A president in a Parliamentary Republic hasn't got even that, a useless ****ing position of power ( not a correct statement, since he actually has no real power ), doesn't even bring tourists.

Yep. We have one of those.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 11:01

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnT
Hell, if you get rid of the monarchy, you might as well tear down Buckingham Palace, raze Westminister Chapel, and blow up that stupid clock while you're at it.

Buck house is crap anyway, take the paintings out and put them in a decent building.

The clock can stay though

MikeH · March 7, 2003, 11:03

From a brief survey of this thread, the Brits want to get rid of the monarchy and the Yanks want us to keep them. Solution - send them all to America!

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 11:04

Prince Phillip would have a wail of time insulting the yanks

lightblue · March 7, 2003, 11:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
What doesn't make Britain look silly?

Bah, the monarchy is fine, and certainly a tourist draw. It helps make Britain unique, distinguishing it from much of the rest of Europe. We like it, it gives the tabloids something to do.

Keep it!

Other monarchies:

Netherlands
Denmark
Norway
Belgium

Other Hereditary rulers:

Luxembourg
Monaco

I am sure I forgot a few, but Britain isn't special in that respect, it is just that they are rather more tabloid friendly than most of the others (although there's some trouble in the Dutch monarchy now, most of them have proper jobs and degrees and stuff), bar possibly the Monagaskan (sp.?).

MikeH · March 7, 2003, 11:10

Sweden and Spain have kings.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 11:11

Monaco really is a joke

Boris Godunov · March 7, 2003, 11:19

Quote:

Originally posted by lightblue

Other monarchies:

Netherlands
Denmark
Norway
Belgium

Other Hereditary rulers:

Luxembourg
Monaco

I am sure I forgot a few, but Britain isn't special in that respect, it is just that they are rather more tabloid friendly than most of the others (although there's some trouble in the Dutch monarchy now, most of them have proper jobs and degrees and stuff), bar possibly the Monagaskan (sp.?).

I said much of the rest of Europe. And those other monarchies aren't nearly has high-profile as Britain's. People associate Britain with traditional monarchy moreso than any other country. When one thinks monarchy, one thinks of Britain. Our tabloids aren't likely to run sordid tales of the Danish monarchy, after all.

MikeH · March 7, 2003, 11:21

If we did ship them to the US you could market and promote them a lot more professionally than we can.

TheStinger · March 7, 2003, 11:23

They would make Charles have his ears done for a start

MikeH · March 7, 2003, 11:26

They could probably make an animatronic Queen Mum with a dancing troop of "Gawd bless the Queen Mum" cockneys to go with her.