Q's to north americans + commonwealth

[linuxdude81]

hi all.

after a lot of tv coverage in the summer of the queen's golden jubilee here in the uk, i was curious to find out wot the rest of the world think of us brit's :)

i know a lot of canadians and americans are here in the forums and just wanted your views and anyone else reading this.

do you still see the queen as a representative of your country (Canada)? or would u prefer to get rid of anything associating you with the commonwealth ?

Wot do amercan's seen the british ppl as?? do u regard us as being part of a broader european union, or something independant of that? sorry to ask so much, but it's better than posting a dozen single q's ;)

MANY thanks for reading this even if you dont reply :)

neil

[3dGameMan]

Don't even get me started on this topic! heehe

[linuxdude81]

i'll take that a as thumbs down about queen maggie then....hehe
anyone else comments???

[Gun5]

Originally posted by linuxdude81
i'll take that a as thumbs down about queen maggie then....hehe
anyone else comments???


*middlefinger* j/k
:rofl2 :rofl2 :rofl2 :rofl2 :rofl2



:thumb

[Orangepeel]

Originally posted by linuxdude81
i'll take that a as thumbs down about queen maggie then....hehe
anyone else comments???

I think most here in Canada see her as a symbol, but not of any big importance in the ways of government.

She loves to visit Canada! How could she possibly miss the Queen's Plate at Woodbine racetrack :D.

Obviously gets celebrity status when she comes to visit...lots come out to wish her well :).

[Maro]

Don't Worry about Queenie!

I am a Brit but do NOT support the Monarchy - they are just descendents of middle ages Robber Barons/Kings who subjagated the poor.

I don't acknowledge her sovreignty over me and would not bow if I met her

(Rant Over)

She is good for Tourism in Britain but not much else beyond that - did anyone read about the collapsed trial of Diana's Butler? It cost the Taxpayer millions because the Queen didn't speak of sooner - great Example!

:mad:

[Michin]

Ok honestly folks..take a step back and realise this factor about Monarchs and Kings/Queens ect ect.



They are all "noble" "royal" blood line...

You know how they kept it that way?

Ya..kinda disturbing man..they would breed very close within the families....

Really they were breeding themselves to become extinct..derranged...ect ect..


Just my 4 cents worth

[Maro]

That's why they call it "Blue Blood" - nasty!

[Tivon]

Got questions? :Wink http://www.askjeeves.com/

[Orangepeel]

Originally posted by Michin
Ok honestly folks..take a step back and realise this factor about Monarchs and Kings/Queens ect ect.

They are all "noble" "royal" blood line...

You know how they kept it that way?

Ya..kinda disturbing man..they would breed very close within the families....

Really they were breeding themselves to become extinct..derranged...ect ect..

Just my 4 cents worth

Ugh...you just don't do that with family :eek:!

[linuxdude81]

ah lotsa mixed views then i see.
me personally i support her all the way :D
but i would NEVER want camilla parker bowles in the family as royalty!!! EUGH!!

[egarrard]

What real difference does it make if you have a King or Queen? With the way governments change so quickly around the world, you ought to be proud of how far back the lineage of your government goes.

It's not just the Blue Bloods that are inbred. You go back 3-4 generations around here and they're all kissin' cousins. In a rural area, it was either that or the farm animals. Besides it was the easiest way to get a wife who was just like their momma... :kiss

[Scottman]

To answer the original question, I think that overall Canada still has some fondness for the Royal Family. Whenever they visit, they still manage to draw a crowd.

I think that on the whole, the US has a little less respect for the Royal Family. Even though the US and GB enjoy a good friendship today, I think that some people equate the Royals with the times when GB and the US were fighting over land. That was probably the last time in history that the Royals had any real power.

[egarrard]

Originally posted by Scottman
Even though the US and GB enjoy a good friendship today, I think that some people equate the Royals with the times when GB and the US were fighting over land.
That's interesting. Do you really think so? I wouldn't have thought anyone in the US would have given something like that much thought at all. So long as the government doesn't affect us, who cares what form another country has? We demand to be free to choose ours. Why not extend that to others? So long as we, or our interests, aren't threatened by it.

[Scottman]

Originally posted by egarrard
That's interesting. Do you really think so? I wouldn't have thought anyone in the US would have given something like that much thought at all. So long as the government doesn't affect us, who cares what form another country has? We demand to be free to choose ours. Why not extend that to others? So long as we, or our interests, aren't threatened by it.

I'm only surmising. I *have* noticed since moving to the US though that there is at least some disdain for British Royalty among many people. This is not to say that everyone dislikes the royals, but I have noticed that many of the people I have met are more quick to vocalize their "feelings". Much of the types of expressions I have heard toward the Royal Family are something to the extent of "Who do they think they are?" or "What makes them think they are better than anyone else?". As for the real reason for these attitudes, I don't rightly know. The part that really makes me wonder about all this is that Milwaukee is otherwise a very friendly city. I moved here from Canada four years ago and it quickly became "home" for me.

[egarrard]

It may just be their patriotism. The people who have grown up in America probably do have a bias against having an overlord not of our choosing. "Live Free or Die" sums up that feeling. You notice it because of your background. It's all in what your used to, I guess. Personally...I think it would be a shame if the monarchy is done away with. You have to change with the times, but that is one of the things that makes Britain Britain, at least in my eyes. And the other countries of the former Empire who still held allegience to the Royal Family. I just don't like change, I guess.

[tantousha]

America has liked the idea of Royality, but they've been in denial about it (Look at the Kennedy Family). As for the inbreeding thing..they stopped doing that about 100-150 years ago. Everyone knows Princess Diana wasn't actually a member of the royal family, only became one through marriage.

Now for my views. I think that since Canada is still a relativly young and "fresh" country, Canada actually needs the Queen since we treat her more like a mother. Besides, she's just a figurehead with no actual power. I mean we don't pay anything to have her as our "leader", the British do...and as long as they foot the bill I don't really care one way or another.
Alex.

P.S. She is a really nice lady, I got to meet her when she came out here.

[ascully]

I am British and have only moved to america in the last couple of years

I think the queen is great britain wouldnt be britain without the royal family

[linuxdude81]

Lots of good opinions coming through there :)
tnx 4 the replies

ok here's another question if u's dont mind me askin'

here in the uk at the minute the BBC are holding a poll on who brit's think is the greatest briton of all time and here's the top 10:

Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Diana Princess of Wales
Churchill
Charles Darwin
Shakespeare
Admiral Nelson
Oliver Cromwell
Newton
Queen Elizabeth I
John Lennon

my question is WHO do u think is the greatest?? are they on the list?? or should they be??

here's the addy for the full list of 100 -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/greatbritons/list.shtml
tnx once again for readin this :happywave

[Scottman]

Originally posted by linuxdude81
Lots of good opinions coming through there :)
tnx 4 the replies

ok here's another question if u's dont mind me askin'

here in the uk at the minute the BBC are holding a poll on who brit's think is the greatest briton of all time and here's the top 10:

Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Diana Princess of Wales
Churchill
Charles Darwin
Shakespeare
Admiral Nelson
Oliver Cromwell
Newton
Queen Elizabeth I
John Lennon

my question is WHO do u think is the greatest?? are they on the list?? or should they be??

here's the addy for the full list of 100 -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/greatbritons/list.shtml
tnx once again for readin this :happywave

Interesting list - a lot of diversity.

For me, I think that the choice has to be based on the relative importance of the contribution each person made. John Lennon's contribution to music and the arts is legendary, as is the love that the world had for Diana. My choice though would have to be for Churchill. If not for him, the German language would likely be a lot more popular in the UK. Ultimately, I rate his role in preserving the UK higher than any contributions to the arts. Without the freedom to control your own nation, you will not have an arts community.

[egarrard]

John Lennon and Princess Diana? Of all time? You must be kidding! Churchill is a great choice. Why not Alfred? You did say British...

[Orangepeel]

I would be hard pressed to choose between Winston Churchill and Charles Darwin.

[ascully]

I would choose shakespear :)

[Maro]

Brunel - Look him up if you haven't heard about him - he was an engineering Genius! If he was around today his Rig would be awesome!

[Scottman]

Originally posted by egarrard
John Lennon and Princess Diana? Of all time? You must be kidding! Churchill is a great choice. Why not Alfred? You did say British...

Maybe I didn't express my idea clearly in my original post. What I meant to say was that even though Lennon and Diana were well respected for their contributions, I don't think that any contributions to the arts really qualify for the "greatest of all time" - or at least not when the UK had to defend itself against Germany twice. Using that rationale, I would have to exclude Shakespeare as well.

[egarrard]

Originally posted by Scottman
Maybe I didn't express my idea clearly in my original post. What I meant to say was that even though Lennon and Diana were well respected for their contributions, I don't think that any contributions to the arts really qualify for the "greatest of all time" - or at least not when the UK had to defend itself against Germany twice. Using that rationale, I would have to exclude Shakespeare as well. I'm sorry, Scottman, I wasn't talking about your post. I was just surprised that they would have placed so highly in that poll. It just shows the true relevance of most history, I guess. :Sigh

[Scottman]

Hey, no apology required. Your point about the relevance of most history is well taken. I too am suprised about some of the names on the list.

[linuxdude81]

Originally posted by Maro
Brunel - Look him up if you haven't heard about him - he was an engineering Genius! If he was around today his Rig would be awesome!

In their own fields of expertise, each person on the list is a true great britian and deserves to be in the top 10. They all set the greatest examples to us all and prove if you work hard enough and are determined enough you can achieve you're own ambitions and goals :sun_smile

But for me as an engineering student (electronic) i can see the impact Brunel had on the world as a whole and not just the uk.
He gave us LARGE scale engineering that even by today's standards are ENORMOUS and his structures and infrastructure built over 150 years ago still stand magnificantly beside their modern counterparts. He introduced MANY concepts and designs we take for granted today that were thought of as madness by his peers.

And yes his rig would even put even a CRAY T3E to shame.....hehe
:)

neil