The King's Speech

Oh you can do it. It's just not "neccesary".

I’ll hold you to that sentiment for the future then Volver

Posting on GN is never necessary. Especially if one is targetting a fellow poster.

Similarly, I have never used the word "bovvered".

Ever.

Because I was answering a previous post of yours.
You must admit that you often go against the grain, nothing wrong with that until you use sarcasm.
You did say you weren’t in the least bovvered.

Volver has quite a thick skin and is quite used to ill mannered folk who think they're making funny statements while being insufferably rude.

Volver also appreciates the people who take the time to speak up for her.

Why was it "necessary"?

Ah, there you are Lucca I’ve been expecting you🤣

It wasn’t rude and it was neccessary.

Volver isn’t bovvered.

Oreo

Hmmm, well I think it comes down to you usually being in the minority with the way you think on every subject and thread Volver but if you don’t care about that, it’s all good.

How rude and unnecessary

Is it really Normandygirl, I didn't know that.

I'm not a vigorous supporter either volver, didn't listen to the late Queen every year but am pleased we did last year, as it turned out to be her Christmas day speech.

Witzend

IIRC, volver, in Thailand (which I have visited twice) it was illegal - and punishable by imprisonment - to criticise the monarchy.

Emphatically not the case here!

"Emphatically not the case here!" but possible.

The Treason Felony act of 1848, a law which makes it illegal to advocate for the abolition of the monarchy and carries a life sentence is still on the statute book.

Mollygo

Grany
Our Head of State would be a parliamentary President similar to Ireland’s President a well liked and respected Mr Higgins.
Prove it?
How can you guarantee that?

I just looked it up - satisfaction for Michael Higgins is 73%, last satisfaction survey I could find for the Queen was 83% - I’m not suggesting that proves anything, but it’s fair to say nobody at all is universally popular.

But we're British, that couldn't happen here!

Nobody will ever lie to the Queen!

We'll never all stay in our houses for months on end just to suit the government!

The Royal Family will never be involved in shady dealings!

volver

^Emphatically not the case here!^

Yet.

The excuse of "But we're British, that couldn't happen here!" isn't so convincing any more.

I’d still bet quite a lot on it not happening for a long time - unless of course we’re eventually taken over by Russia or China.

Plus, imagine how many people would have been banged up here in the last few years if it were illegal to criticise the PM! 😱
They’d have had to build several new prisons! Has Putin managed without building any more, I wonder? Maybe he just has a lot of them meeting sudden, ‘accidental’ deaths instead - so very convenient.

Smileless2012

Well over 10 million tuned into his speech.

One of them was me.

I'm not exactly a vigorous supporter.

Emphatically not the case here!

Yet.

The excuse of "But we're British, that couldn't happen here!" isn't so convincing any more.

IIRC, volver, in Thailand (which I have visited twice) it was illegal - and punishable by imprisonment - to criticise the monarchy.

Emphatically not the case here!

Grany
Our Head of State would be a parliamentary President similar to Ireland’s President a well liked and respected Mr Higgins.
Prove it?
How can you guarantee that?

Well over 10 million tuned into his speech.

And now a list of Republics where they do the Head of State thing oh so, so much worse?
Don’t worry, I’m not really expecting you to admit it.

Don't challenge me Lathyrus, not if you're not expecting a sensible answer to a daft question.

Its necessary first of all to understand the difference between a Head of State and a Head of Government. Some countries have both roles embodied in one person. Many do not. Like ourselves in the UK, for instance.

So, if you think of Heads of State that are also Heads of Government, there are indeed many examples where this has gone wrong. Brazil under Bolsonaro. The US under Trump.

The Heads of State that are not Heads of Government? I seriously couldn't think of any where it's gone wrong. Then, of course you come up with Russia. Its quite sweet that you think that Putin is the elected Head of State of Russia, elected under fair circumstances and with no influence over the Head of Government. Such innocence 🤣

In our system, there is nothing to stop a PM deciding that s/he wants to be head of everything forever, and getting the power to change everything, if they want to. Bit like Putin did.

But if you want to see Constitutional Monarchies gone wrong, I think Thailand is a good example.

volver

^So you can't give me, in one short sentence, an example of where they do the head of state thing better. No surprise there then.^

Well you didn't ask for that, but now that you have...

Eire. Germany. Finland.

Didn't even need to make a sentence. 😊

You don't have to agree. I'll be surprised if you do.

You must know that is not an example of where they do better. Just naming a few states is not putting an argument in favour of what they do.

The Irish HoS was put forward once before with no changes in opinion. Most people had never heard of him, nor did they know about the Irish system for Heads of State. I don't remember anything in their system that proved it is "better" than ours.

SparkleFizz I too thought his being filmed in the chapel was an excellent move. Who can much about the inside of a chapel or church?
I found his content about front line workers and the welfare of people to be excellent.

Democratic Heads of State Calendar

www.republic.org.uk/shop#!/Democratic-Heads-of-State-2023-Calendar/p/466242966/category=109025111

Lathyrus

Grany

Majority of country didn’t see it and won’t. A lot will watch and pay little attention. The patronising idea that we need glib sentiments from a man ripping off the taxpayer and failing to live up to basic standards of public life is nonsense. #NotMyKing

Oh so it looks like #NotMyKing is trending today on Christmas. QE2 was beloved, but apparently KC3 is not. Fascinating to watch from the other side of the pond. The concept of monarchy is thing of fairy tales to me.
👀🍷🍿

Charles is sitting on a huge fortune, most of which is either the result of slavery, unique and unjust tax breaks or the state allowing him and his family multi-million pound income from state assets. He has no business patronising the country like this.

Everything Grany says here, which she believes is true about a King is also true of many, maRepublican elected Presidents throughout the world and throughout the years.

Those in power, regardless of the system
.
republic=justice =fantasy

Our Head of State would be a parliamentary President similar to Ireland’s President a well liked and respected Mr Higgins We are denied a chance to choose a president like one of the many successful respected presidents of republics.

Grany

Majority of country didn’t see it and won’t. A lot will watch and pay little attention. The patronising idea that we need glib sentiments from a man ripping off the taxpayer and failing to live up to basic standards of public life is nonsense. #NotMyKing

Oh so it looks like #NotMyKing is trending today on Christmas. QE2 was beloved, but apparently KC3 is not. Fascinating to watch from the other side of the pond. The concept of monarchy is thing of fairy tales to me.
👀🍷🍿

Charles is sitting on a huge fortune, most of which is either the result of slavery, unique and unjust tax breaks or the state allowing him and his family multi-million pound income from state assets. He has no business patronising the country like this.

Everything Grany says here, which she believes is true about a King is also true of many, maRepublican elected Presidents throughout the world and throughout the years.

Those in power, regardless of the system
.
republic=justice =fantasy

With an elected President as Head of State

Glorianny

Lathyrus

I’ll start

Russia…….

That's not really a true democracy is it? so not actually comparable with the UK. (unless you are suggesting that our democracy is just as corrupt????!!)

It’s a Republic