Monarchy debate/discussion

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, Antlion said:

Wasn’t there an entire exposé written by a former aide about what a dirty b*****d Charles was (insisting on his toothpaste being squeezed for him and his slippers laid out in a certain way so his feet didn’t have to touch the floor)? Or have all copies been burnt on a pyre outside St Paul’s Cathedral by the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Aye and the bit about having his own toilet seat carried around for him.

Yet this is the Britain most people seem to want.

[Granny Danger]

The young woman who held up the anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh has now been charged with breach of the peace.

What a fucking disgrace in a so called democracy.

[ParsJake]

2 hours ago, BFTD said:

 jiggling middle-aged Christian women in gaudy sweaters.

2 whole hours it's taken...

Wid.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

"Its a democracy if you're sitting on your arse" - Kincardine, 2022

https://twitter.com/BeardedGenius/status/1569279841546936321?s=20&t=5m60yJhJ0F-3SmgWnkh-4Q

[Dawson Park Boy]

1 hour ago, Soapy FFC said:

I didn't realise that there was such a thing as a Coburg cake, but every day is a school day I suppose.

On a related matter, I've always asked for a German biscuit in the bakers, and I see no reason to stop doing this.

Not a patch on the Empire biscuits my wife makes, I bet.

[Soapy FFC]

5 minutes ago, Dawson Park Boy said:

Not a patch on the Empire biscuits my wife makes, I bet.

To be fair, you can't beat home baking.

[Frank Quitely]

7 minutes ago, Dawson Park Boy said:

Not a patch on the Empire biscuits my wife makes, I bet.

To reflect reality, in ten years time the Empire biscuit should be the size of a five pence piece.

[lau03143]

I find the discussion of Republic vs. Monarchy very interesting, but what no one can explain with a Republic is how to protect against Populist factions, which can cause mayhem with most Republics. Or to protect against a lunatic President (like Trump).

Constitutional Monarchies work, by theoretically having parliament accountable to a Monarch through various conventions, oaths etc. Some of the most stable democracies and highest GDP economies in the world are Constitutional Monarchies. Britain (plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc), Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden are all good examples.

There is clearly room for improvement in terms of how the House of Commons is elected (Proportional representation should be advanced), and the House of Lords requires reform, but this should all be within the framework of a Constitutional Monarch.

As we move forward though, I think it's important from any government to review the role of Monarchy, whether that be Westminster or Holyrood, and I think any future vote on Independence, the any party taking part should clearly state in it's manifesto it's long term strategy on the Monarchy.

[MrWorldwideJr]

8 minutes ago, lau03143 said:

I find the discussion of Republic vs. Monarchy very interesting, but what no one can explain with a Republic is how to protect against Populist factions, which can cause mayhem with most Republics. Or to protect against a lunatic President (like Trump).

Constitutional Monarchies work, by theoretically having parliament accountable to a Monarch through various conventions, oaths etc. Some of the most stable democracies and highest GDP economies in the world are Constitutional Monarchies. Britain (plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc), Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden are all good examples.

There is clearly room for improvement in terms of how the House of Commons is elected (Proportional representation should be advanced), and the House of Lords requires reform, but this should all be within the framework of a Constitutional Monarch.

As we move forward though, I think it's important from any government to review the role of Monarchy, whether that be Westminster or Holyrood, and I think any future vote on Independence, the any party taking part should clearly state in it's manifesto it's long term strategy on the Monarchy.

Can you explain how a monarchy protects against Populist factions?

Or indeed how it protects against having a 'lunatic' as Head of State given that we have absolutely no control over who the Head of State is?

[Florentine_Pogen]

14 minutes ago, Frank Quitely said:

To reflect reality, in ten years time the Empire biscuit should be the size of a five pence piece.

In ten years time, the five pence piece won't exist.

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

In ten years time, the five pence piece won't exist.

Neither will the Empire.  (Maybe that’s the point you were making?)

 

[tamthebam]

5 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I see Prince Andrew has his wish granted for a new role in the Royal Family. He's getting The Queen's dugs to keep.

 

It reminds me of the first Blackadder where Prince Edmund was stripped of all titles except Lord Warden of the Royal Privies. Now his Royal Nonceness has the role of going about picking up dug shite (which he won't do obv)

 

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

Thank f**k we have the constitutional monarchy to protect us from the prospect of dangerous populists ruining the country.

[williemillersmoustache]

27 minutes ago, lau03143 said:

......any future vote on Independence, the any party taking part should clearly state in it's manifesto it's long term strategy on the Monarchy.

Why?

[Florentine_Pogen]

1 minute ago, tamthebam said:

It reminds me of the first Blackadder where Prince Edmund was stripped of all titles except Lord Warden of the Royal Privies. Now his Royal Nonceness has the role of going about picking up dug shite (which he won't do obv)

 

He's far too honourable for such plebeian work.

[Gordon EF]

15 minutes ago, lau03143 said:

Constitutional Monarchies work, by theoretically having parliament accountable to a Monarch through various conventions, oaths etc. Some of the most stable democracies and highest GDP economies in the world are Constitutional Monarchies. Britain (plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc), Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden are all good examples.

Plenty of the most stable democracies and highest GDP countries in the world are republics though. Here's nine that all have higher GDPs per capita than the UK. Singapore, Ireland, Switzerland, USA, Austria, Iceland, Germany, Finland, France.

 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

2 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Plenty of the most stable democracies and highest GDP countries in the world are republics though. Here's nine that all have higher GDPs per capita than the UK. Singapore, Ireland, Switzerland, USA, Austria, Iceland, Germany, Finland, France.

 

Pfft, stupid successful EU countries.

 

[Antlion]

30 minutes ago, lau03143 said:

I find the discussion of Republic vs. Monarchy very interesting, but what no one can explain with a Republic is how to protect against Populist factions, which can cause mayhem with most Republics. Or to protect against a lunatic President (like Trump).

Constitutional Monarchies work, by theoretically having parliament accountable to a Monarch through various conventions, oaths etc. Some of the most stable democracies and highest GDP economies in the world are Constitutional Monarchies. Britain (plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc), Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden are all good examples.

 

BiB - unless you can determine a different correlation between the two, I tend to believe that some stable countries with high GDPs have simply still got their constitutional monarchs through a lack of will to get rid of them, rather than stability and high GDP being in any way a result of their having constitutional monarchs. Stability comes from the people’s willingness to participate peacefully, not from the top.

Incidentally, it’s worth looking at modern Germany and Ireland to see how to have a functioning democracy with constitutional presidents and without crazy populists wielding executive power (like, you know, arch-monarchists Boris Johnson and Liz Truss here).

[DiegoDiego]

Would any right-minded group of individuals when designing a new state from scratch say "let's give the top job to this bloke and his descendants can rule over us for ever more"? Unless the answer is yes, there's no reason to keep the monarchy.

[Lofarl]

That’s a fair trek up to St Giles for an old King and his noncey brother.