--- In [email protected], "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ann" <awoelflebater@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@> > > > wrote: > > (snip) > > > > Weird thing is, I don't personally know a single person who > > > > cares about them. They seem to exist purely as a tourist attraction > > > > for rich Americans. And something for the government to claim > > > > should make us proud to be British, they've sold everything else > > > > to foreign companies you see, the flag is all we've got left.... > > > > > > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18237280 > > > > Good find. > > You'll find the BBC and some assorted rightwing newspapers > will write about very little else for the forseeable future. > The BBC do it or they'll get the license fee reduced, hence > all the naueating sycophancy at the wedding last year. If they > don't do that they get accused of left wing bias. > > The Daily Mail does it because they still believe in a toadying > world of grovelling and bowing to people they consider their > "betters" even though this world ended at the start of the first > world war. The DM and the government would love to take us back > to those halcyon days of empire.
Well, I don't live there, of course, but I sure have never had the impression that most Brits are into toadying and groveling. Bowing, maybe. I have the sense as well that these days it's more about tradition than about "their betters." And I strongly suspect the government knows better than to want to go back to the days of the British Empire. > If you want to know what most of us British *actually* think > you should have joined me at work where nobody even mentioned > it and at lunch with friends where nobody even mentioned it > and now at my folks for a family meal, where nobody has even > mentioned it. You know, I don't really think that the people at your place of work, the friends you had lunch with, and your folks add up to "most of us British." > That most would keep the monarchy doesn't mean they give > a toss about it. I don't know anyone that would notice > (or care) if they all disappeared overnight but would probably > keep the status quo for fear of ending up a republic, but that's > a big difference to Bastille day. > > Apparently three-quarters of Brits want to > > retain the monarchy and have for decades. Pollsters > > describe it as "probably the most stable trend we have > > ever measured." And it doesn't seem to have much of > > anything to do with tourism dollars. > > > > Me, I've been a huge fan of the queen ever since I > > first read about her preparations for the coronation > > in Life magazine in 1952, when she was only 26 years > > old. She couldn't exactly make a silk purse out of > > the sow's ear of a life she was handed, but she made > > it the best damn sow's ear she possibly could. She > > is one tough broad. > > Oh well, better give her another palace then. Oh, what a stinging quip. So insightful. With regard to the royal birth, it strikes me that the folks who are dumping on the interest in it are according it more significance than those who are just enjoying it for what it is.
