(OT) The Monarchy!

This! it has always been a major argument for me whenever I have questioned the Monarchy with friends or in Politics at college. Why, should a group of people, who have no real deeds apart from being born into a family deserve to live a life of luxury when there is so much poverty on the streets of the UK these days. I'd much rather money be spent on helping those truly in need than on the Windsors

 

Me neither! How can you be proud of a bit of land you were born on, purely by chance? Its ridiculous.

 

Patriotism is a pointless excercise in further dividing humans for absolutely no reason. Being pleased to live in a free society when there are still many opressive parts of the world at large today, however, is surely a good thing.

 

That's all patriotism seems to do. Further divide people apart. But, the thing is. It's more than just countries. It's deeper than that. It even goes beyond Counties, and Cities. People these days, seem to be proud of the ****ing street they are from. So, in their own narrow minded points of view makes them better than people who live in other streets.

We will never truly live in a peaceful world without conflict. All because of ****ing patriotism!

Two main causes of conflict in this world. Are the two things a majority people care most Religion, and Patriotism. Both, are a complete farce. Created to cause conflict

 

It's the tribalistic instinct we all have really. Same reason we all watch football and stand by cheering on our team every weekend, except far less destructive because it is done in the name of sports obviously .

 

I like them, and I like the fact that we have the most historic and high profile monarchy in the world. They're entwined with our countries history, and the make us what we are. I'm pretty patriotic, and I love how the rest of the world casts envious eyes when we have Royal occasions.

 

This is what pisses me off. They take money from the tax payer (many of whom struggle to feed themselves on the pittance they earn) and give it to the royals to live a life of flamboyant opulence. It's stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. And to think the saucy wench had the audacity to ask for an extra £120m (or whatever it was) in the middle of a recession.

The royal family should be a charity in my opinion, those who give a toss should foot the bill. Saying she brings tourism to the country is a poor excuse, Premier League footballers bring stack of cash to the country, does that mean they should be exempt from taxes?

 

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I expect PL footballers contribute very little to the tax system. They'll have so many 'clever accounting' methods that they'll pay a fraction of what they should.

 

I can understand it with football. Taking an interest in a local club. Or in the case of alot us here. A random club we've taken a affection too. Its understandable. But when people begin to take it too far and start fighting opposing supporters to prove they're better is when it goes too far.
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Well said that man

 

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I am not a fan of the monarchy. It is a very outdated system where you are born into "power" however the money it brings in via tourism makes them worthwhile.

 

I'm ambivalent to them to be honest, but then again, i don't pay towards them. I do disagree that they should be supported by tax payers and, as AbsolutelyGlorious said, they should be a charity.

 

Actually this. AG puts it far better than I ever could

 

They're shape-shifters and they have all the good gold. Oust them says I.

 

Proud to be English.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-7o4xEQCWs

 

With regards to Patriotism, it CAN be a good thing. It is essentially a shared pride in those around you. Scalpel had it spot on when he compared it to football (that was going to be my point...) I'm proud of being from the North East, I'm proud when I open my mouth and people say "ah you're a geordie" I'm proud to wear the black and white shirt and to an extent, proud to come onto a forum like this where we waste 90% of our lives.

If someone came on here and needlessly started digging into Tash, wouldn't we all back Tash up, regardless of the fact he can occasionally be OTT, annoying and a little attention seeking? With the exception of perhaps Chappaz, I'd say yes! Why? 'Cause he's one of us, he's from our patch, we have something in common.

Our generation has lost a lot of patriotism through cynicism. Do I believe we as British people are better than others? No. But do I believe that we as British people should take pride in what our country has achieved and work hard to improve it. Yes!

I'm a half Irish, Catholic, Englishman who lives in Northern Ireland...I'm fairly liberal in my views and have never bought the Daily Mail in my life, but, if I am in a different country and someone asks me "are you English" I'm more than happy, nay, I'm proud to say "Yes!"

 

The main thing I hate about American patriotism is the fact many Americans think the US is a developed, free society, when it really is more backwards than countries you'd considered less free or delevoped. 1 in 50 American children have faced homelessness - that is absolutely incredible. There's no free health care. New terrorism laws mean that even if you're suspected of being a terrorist you lose all rights (that is very, very scary, even more scary is the lack of reporting on the bill). I like to compare Britain/US to Venezeula. They have free public transport, free university education and free health care. America has none of this things. Britain only has one. So which country has a more backward society? The arrogance of the West is horrible.

And I absolutely detest the Royal Family. The idea that someone is just born into so much power is so unbelievably outdated, yet so accepted, that it'll probably never change in any of our lifetimes. The hysteria around the Royal Wedding last year was genuninely sickening.

 

Yeah but, Kate Middleton...Would you?

 

Is the Pope a Catholic?!

 

You spelled Nazi wrong...