Royal family. Should they be banned?

[Boris]

As for the rest of this thread, anyone who thinks the British aren't patriotic clearly knows nothing about the British.

Hear Hear ! We don't go around daily waving the flag and telling everyone we gave the world democracy. We leave that to the Greeks. We don't go around screaming we are leaders of the free world and the greatest nation on earth. Yet at home disenfranchise our most vulnerable citizens in the name of the 1%. We leave that to the Yanks.

As a nation we are comfortable in knowing that God is our protector. He has to be if you look back through history. In regard to other nations we have been there done that and are comfortable in sitting back to watch them all make the same mistakes again and again. Democracy? Didn't invent it but made it work and now the model is followed even by the great republics. In the US system, case law even defaults to English precedents. Thank you Henry the Second who gave us jury trails and national laws.

The two house system of government? Fought for with English Blood and defended later by Kings. Thanks to the many others that have forced things upon us that have proven over centuries to be the model for modern living. Habeas Corpus?? Thank you your Majesty from yesteryear but abused by our one and only Republican leader. A lesson perhaps?

We don't need to shout about it. We have all developed the slight telling smile/smirk when hearing today's "greats" blast off because we know that what goes around comes around. Also .. we are happy to lose at the unimportant things like sport. We loved Eddie the Eagle because we knew he tried his best. Also in the memory that we had been on the winning team in the important events of the 20th century to ALLOW us to rejoice so. No brown shirts and blond hair for us thank you.

Everyone has a pop at the Royals, they are an easy target, but OH OH OH how we show our love ... at the right time, in the right way. Heads of state visit and gaze in wonder at what we understand as a birthright. We don't have to shout about being British, we all save that up for footy ( which we gave the world and NOT the Chinese thank you ) and is THE World game Not NFL,NBA or that ball and stick thing. We compete in REAL World Championships not those just restricted to clubs of our own country.

We may not win .. but there is always hope for another day ... We just know that all those Johnny Foreigners wish they were us and the more they say they don't WE, as Gods chosen,( Hey Jews just because you wrote a book doesn't make you experts ) all understand and feel sorry that they don't feel grown up enough about it to come out of their closet.

[fraxbo]

Original Post Deleted

I think he was being ironic. At least I hope so.

[hullexile]

I think he was being ironic. At least I hope so.

Another thing we are better at than anyone else.

[MM5]

None of the reasons provided so far justifying the existence are compelling to me so far. But I am at least prepared to have a discussion about it. Can I suggest that if you don't wish to have a serious discussion that you do what you suggested I do?

Now, if you were to argue that the royal family deserve their current powers due to all the killings, beheadings, wars, etc that they have over the centuries engaged in, that would be an interesting discussion, but even then I don't think you could persuade me that this current situation is one that should be supported.

Randy1, you are officially my favorite, LOL. The royal family should be ashamed of the countless horrendous acts and thievery their coveted lineage has perpetrated against generations of people throughout the world. But instead, their overzealous subjects celebrate them with a blind eye to history. It's much easier to enjoy ill gotten gains when one is in denial, ay?

Couture gloves at the expense of others may be lovely. But they will never cover blood on one's hands. No matter how many stylish pairs are commissioned

[hullexile]

I think if most of us traced our history back 1000 years we would come across some bloody deeds committed by our ancestors. As I said before it is up to you whether you celebrate them or not but it is up to the people whether they continue as head of state in the UK and in many other countries. Personally I don't really celebrate them but would vote for their continued position. This I think is the majority position.

[Matematik]

English and British national identity is so linked to celebrating the Royal Family that they don't even have a proper nation anthem that celebrates England or the UK as a country. They just have "God Save the Queen", which is an athem in celebration of the Royal Family.

[Matematik]

I'm not suggesting the English aren't patriotic, but compared to many other nationalities they're not in your face with it.

You wouldn't have British people aggressively screaming "UK UK UK" and waving British flags in your face like you sometimes get in America during sporting matches or patriotic celebrations.

I think outside of certain events like Jubilee celebrations and Royal Weddings, British people find patriotism for the sake of it distasteful and pointless.

I would describe the British as quietly patriotic. They're proud of their country and its history, but they're not going to scream it to the world or let everyone know they're British.

To suggest that patriotism in the UK is anything like patriotism in the US is just complete and utter nonsense. The British are patriotic, but they're no more patriotic on average than anyone else.

I think the reality is people incorrectly assume they because of the empire, British people are patriotic and arrogant. That is simply not the case. Many British people are reasonably proud of their country, but certainly wouldn't go around ranting and raving about how great their country is.

[randy1]

What a joker! A serious discussion? Now that's a really good one! As if persuasion ever worked in these endless and pointless discussions. The main goal of most in these kinds of thread is to try to be clever and to enjoy reading what they write, maybe get a rise out of others.

But hey, congrats on getting 5 pages... Long live King Randi!

Now ten pages and going strong!

[bibbju]

English and British national identity is so linked to celebrating the Royal Family that they don't even have a proper nation anthem that celebrates England or the UK as a country. They just have "God Save the Queen", which is an athem in celebration of the Royal Family.

I'm not sure why "God Save the Queen" isn't a "proper" national anthem but if Matematik says so, it must be true as Matmatik is so obviously well informed about all things British.

Of course "Land of Hope & Glory" or "Jerusalem" probably don't count as "proper" either. Whatever "proper" is.

[bookblogger]

Or "Rule Britannia" of course...