Beefy's Corner - The Off-Topic Chat Thread

Let's lighten the mood a bit, shall we?

A French MP might be in trouble after suggesting that Hitler didn't kill enough gypsies: http://www.thelocal.fr/20130722/french-mayor-evokes-hitler

 

Nor would an elected [or appointed if you like] ordinary non-political person. I take it you are convinced then considering your whatever..?

I enjoyed my episode of Star Trek last night. Actually, I watched two..! The other one being... For the World is hollow and I have touched the sky.

 

I am looking forward to Luther this evening.

 

Wow I actually agree with Godders for once.

 

Have you seen the latest Star Trek film?

 

I enjoyed the latest film. One of the few films where I didn't start to fidget before the end.

 

How did you find Man Of Steel?

 

It's naive to think any hypothetical President wouldn't be just a patsy for the House of Commons.

 

What, just like the Queen is you mean?

 

There's some decent series out there at the moment - The Returned, Top of the Lake, Dexter (though the latest one is going a bit too far out there), Luther, Run....

 

Breaking Bad is back soon, only for a few more episodes tho.

 

No we'd just not re-elect him.

How do we get rid of a tyrannical monarch ?

 

Revolution.

 

Irrelevant question. We haven't had one in centuries.

 

I thought man of steel was absolutely atrocious, and can't believe the hype it got.

 

America surrenders the moon:

http://gizmodo.com/5930450/all-the-american-flags-on-the-moon-are-now-white

 

Well, you're certainly not convincing me, that's for sure. Counter debate has to have substance as well. Not just a it-won't-work attitude.

By the way, is this the five minute argument or the full half-hour..?

 

Not much substance I agree, but I do actually have sympathy for his argument. It's all well and good saying it's a matter of principle that a head of state should be democratically elected and not inherited, but the thing is we've got a system that kind of works. And it's not just us: Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Bhutan are all leading countries in terms of quality of life and low corruption, and they all have a constitutional monarchy.

This system we've sort of clumsily ended up with does give us a good balance. Our monarch has no bias towards any particular party and shows no sign of ever having any, and furthermore she's not motivated by personal gain. In a republic, the head of state will have a fixed term and therefore will have incentives towards partisanship and quite possibly corruption in order to ensure re-election. Key examples: USA, Iran, Russia.

The Queen's "powers" aren't really powers, and I think it's what she doesn't do that is far more important than what she does do. She must not ever abandon the democratic process because she will be immediately overthrown if she does. At the same time Parliament must continue to respect the democratic process lest they be dissolved at the Queen's order (probably a matter which would eventually be settled by the military, depending on whom they side with). A partisan head of state, in collaboration with Parliament could conceivably (whether likely or not) abandon democratic process, put their friends in charge of the military and corrupt the country. We have a system of checks and balances which could be weakened in a republic.

 

Wake me up when everyone's finished talking about the Monarchy!

 

Joe. It doesn't bother me about the power or lack of power. An appointed ordinary person would do just as well. It's their position in society. It's the being waited on for their every need, that appals. Provided by the state, of course. There are people in this World who know nothing other than drudgery. This family know nothing other than luxury and it has never been been earned. Why do people simply overlook this obvious inequality..? Is it deliberate..?