the fact that this country has a monarch has irritated me for very long time, i just don't see how anyone can justify having someone chosen to live in a palace and treated in luxury simply because they were born into a certain family.
its like this, a total D**K can be the monarch because of the circumstances of his/her birth, while someone far more deserving and qualified toils away in obscurity.
british people obviously love their royal family, but why?
when most other countries have a democratric process to decide the head of the state.
That sounds more like an argument against the luck of someone's birth. Would you be so opposed if you'd been born a royal?Originally Posted by newatheist
we could choose that this country like many others will choose a head of state every 4/5 years rather than keeping it one family, we could if we wished kick the royals out of the palace but people don't want to. WHY?
Speaking as a die-hard republican in principle myself, there are four words which make the monarchy seem not so bad after all ...
President Thatcher, President Blair.
Because we can't be bothered having a revolution now?
I don't think people 'love' them. There's a section of the public who adores them (getting smaller by the year I suspect), people who hate them, and people who probably think they are a bit pointless but don't care too much either way.
Personally I can't stand Charles as I think he has a position of responsibility from which he could do great damage. Bearing in mind they were born into this position half of them are spolt idiots, while the other half seem to appreciate what they've got.
To be honest, I think there are thousands of people born into wealth in this country that are more obnoxious that the Royals, and although I have no great loving of them, I don't see the harm in having some kind of royal family figurehead for the country.
Whilst in principle I am anti-royal, there is a good argument along the lines of would we necessarily get better via elections? Key to this is that elections throw up those willing and able to stand. Are we sure that those people are any better than un-elected royals? If one looks at Presidents where the constitutions allow them real political power, are we sure they have done much better?
I would like to add a question? Why do we need a head of state anyway? British constitutionalists have often argued that the monarch acts as a backstop i.e. in extremis can dissolve a government. Really! Under what circumstances is this any more than entirely theoretical?
There is a view that longstanding tradition steadies the ship. I think this is just an excuse for maintaining outdated/outmoded structures, when a robust constitution is probably what is required.
Wouldn't it be great if instead of swearing allegiance to the queen and god, the government, people and armed forces swear allegiance to uphold a well framed constitution?
I'm not sure that we do. Americans seem to love them more than us. I've had a number of conversations with Americans who are astonished to discover that I'm a republican who would be happy to see the back of the royal parasites. They always start defending them and saying how lucky we are to have a royal family...
If I'd lived through Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, and two Bushes, I'd want a royal family.
You didn't say how you'd feel about if you'd been born a royal. Would you abolish yourself?
I'd hate to have been born a royal.
I quite enjoy a life of freedom. But then I guess I am comfortably enough off that I don't have envy for what the royals have in terms of money etc.
The money spent on the Royals would do little to alleviate poverty in this country. Of course it could be put to better use arguably than in the pockets for some privileged buffoons, but it's just a drop in the ocean compared to how much money is spent on public services by the government in a year.
Venice used sortition to choose its Doge. Perhaps we could try that approach?Key to this is that elections throw up those willing and able to stand.
Every thing is relative, if born as a royal psycopath I would think this is right and proper.
I was born common so I have common thoughts and can't see why someone should be considered to have better breeding to come from a closed circle of relatives who thought it good practise to breed with cousins and uncles to keep the royal blood pure, Insanity.
A Republican and federal britain would be better, at least we could get rid of the nut cases every 4 years these one we are stuck with for ever...
yes, only if i felt i was capable of maintaing a similar life style aftewards.
at least they get a say in who their head of state is, also if our current system continues do you ever see a black or asian person becoming head of state.
at the very least every american child is allowed to aspire to doing 'the top job' whereas in the UK thats fantasy.
'er-madge doens't live in a big old palace because she's royal. She does so because she's rich.
Do you have a problem with her inherriting the roles and responsibilities of a constitutional monarch? I for one don't envy a life of being unable to express a political opinion in public and having limited private life to speak of. I don't envy the regalia, the rituals or the repetition. I don't envy being criticised for recieving money from the civil list, which amounts to a contribution of about 13p per person in the UK when I couldn't spend that money on myself, only on the legitimate expenses of my duties as sovereign and the upkeep of the royal households. I'd find it especially galling if my estates had been co-opted by the treasury and generated an income of more than 20 times the civil list whihc I never got to see either.
Yeah she inherrited a huge estate but it's not like she can sell up and retire to the Caribean. She's not so much the owner of her possessions but the guardian.
If you're looking to complain about people born into a life a priviledge you'd be better off to pick a target like Gerald Grosvenor, Hans Rausing, or Charlene de Carvalho all of whom inherrited amounts which dwarf the money under the Queens stewardship.
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