I detest all monarchies and I mean all

[malaise]

I also detest their non-stop self promotion BUT anything that pisses off the whites only racists is good news.
Congrats Harry and Meghan.

[MineralMan]

1. I'll raise a glass to that!

[underthematrix]

2. LOL

[kairos12]

3. Tired of royals in 1776. Really sick of them now. Please go away.

[Rollo]

102. Technically speaking, our Pesident is a monarch...

And elected monarch, but a monarch nonetheless.

And our system of choosing our elected monarchs leaves something to be desired: Trum

[kairos12]

103. When he fires Mueller and SCOTUS agrees, we will have a tyrant.

[Cicada]

4. The monarchy is great for tourism

They generate vastly more profit than they cost. And going ro countless events which people enjoy is a lot of work for which people should be grateful.

[malaise]

5. So was the CIvil War according to the momument loving and pro-slavery

racists

[Cicada]

9. The royal family do not kill people nor enslave them

That the civil war generates profits today does not mean that all things which generate profits today are bad.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. The royals and kings of England

Enslaved entire nations. Ask India how they liked British rule? The royals today are some of the richest people in the world. How did they earn it? And yet most British citizens have to pay over $9,000 a year in tuition to attend college. It use to be free. And it is estimated that over 3,500 each night in England sleep rough or are what the US calls homeless.

Really, most kings and queens cost a country much, much more than they bring in in tourist dollars. I would prefer to spend the money on the homeless and tution than in support of royalty and all their castles and luxuries.

[Cicada]

38. The sins of the father shall not be visited upon the son

[Farmer-Rick]

48. But then the wealth of the father gained through sin

Shoud not be visited upon the son either. But it uniformly is.

[Cicada]

81. Just try to think about what the royals must do

What if you had to go to an endless parade of ceremonies with local military units, various civic groups, all the time? Wouldn’t you rather have a normal life?

If there were no royal family many people in the tourism industry would not have their job. Letting William live in a palace is a good investment for the workers of England. And he pays a heavy price, attending an endless stream of horribly boring events.

[Farmer-Rick]

111. Because boring ceremonies can't be performed by anyone? And castles by themselves attract tourists

To many a hungry person, that job sounds just fine.

[adigal]

71. Did you see Harry in his Nazi uniform when in his 20s? And he calls Muslims "rag heads"

Harry is as clueless and racist as his Granddaddy Phillip.

[Stryst]

25. Uh... historically, not true

And in the modern time, they've participated wholecloth in the sacking and looting of Iraq.

[Cicada]

39. We firebombed Dresden. My dad to blame?

From his service in the US Army at that time?

William and Harry are not to blame for the decisions of the British government. It is not reasonable to expect them to resist service. That would be asking too much of anyone in their position.

[jmowreader]

35. That particular member of the royal family has

Because that’s what Apache gunners in the middle of a war do.

[HipChick]

7. Mixed race Bride

all those British women who went to the right schools, right places to snare Harry

I will be making the trip across the pond..so happy for them..

[Cicada]

12. Kate targeted William and nabbed him

She had a poster of him on her bedroom wall growing up. She wore that transparent dress in the fashion show he attended at school knowing exactly how William would react. She targeted him, got him, and now they are living happily ever after. It is a beautiful story. I hope Harry is so lucky.

[Tipperary]

49. Targeted and nabbed?

Isn't that kind of a 1950s way of referring to a woman - like "landing a husband?"

[Cicada]

50. Yes, it is. It is not a bad thing, it is a glorious wonderful thing.

I have targeted and nabbed women a time or two, arranging events to put myself in an appealing light. This is perhaps a very fifties thing but then I grew up in the fifties and sixties. I really really admire Kate and I find her scheming deliscious.

[Tipperary]

51. Wow.

I guess you know her personally and can therefore attest to her "scheming."

[Cicada]

52. I would give you odds that I am right tho I can not prove it.

I have been lucky to have lived a full life in many varied circumstances, to have had many friends who have confided in me. I have read a great deal about Kate. I know she wanted him from the start. I know she is clever. I know she got what she wanted. It would insult her to deny that she Saw her chances and took them.

[Cicada]

53. You do know she switched colleges once he said he was going there, right?

She had his photo on her childhood bedroom wall. She fell in love with him when she was a child. When it was announced that he would attend St Andrews she switched college to go there.

Get a clue!

I have been blessed to have known some women with social skills I would have never known were available to people. Kate Middleton is a wonderful and intelligent woman capable of moving the world to achieve her goals, in my humble opinion.

[cwydro]

60. No, she did not switch colleges.

Wondering where you get your info lol.

[Cicada]

61. The Daily Mail Sep 1 2013

She had a place at the University of Edinburgh, ranked the fifth best in the U.K.. During her gap year it was announced that William would attend St Andrews. Kate then cancelled her place at Edinburgh and applied to St Andrews, ranked 16th best in the U.K. They are not far apart in miles. There would be no logical reason to reject the better school and the vastly better city for the lesser one, unless you wanted to meet the boy whose photo you put up on your wall when you were a little girl and whose image you had looked at longingly every day of your life for many years.

[cwydro]

62. She entered as a freshman at St Andrews.

So how was that her gap year?

[Cicada]

76. Gap year precedes freshman year

Students there take a gap year before they start college. You get into college and then delay starting to take a gap year. In that gap year she learned William was going to St Andrews. It is a dreamy place to go to college, But not as thrilling as the nearby Edinburgh. Yet she dropped her reserved spot at Edinburgh to go to St Andrews instead. I am sure she did that so she could meet the boy whose photo she put on her wall as a child, whose photo she looked at longingly every day of her life. This is a super dooper wonderful love story. A little girl falls in love with a handsome Prince and despite all the odds in the world works to meet him and gets him to fall in love with her too. Love stories don’t get any better than this. This story makes me have faith in the world. Miracles do happen.

[Denzil_DC]

91. Erm ...

You seem VERY well read on the royal family's doings - University Challenge or Mastermind level, except for the conspiracy stuff, but ...

St Andrews, ranked 16th best in the U.K.

I live in Scotland. Not only is St Andrews a much more prestigious university (FWIW) than Edinburgh, good as Edinburgh is, but (excuse Wikipedia, the numbered sources are at the link):

It is consistently ranked as the third best university in the United Kingdom in all national league tables, behind Oxbridge.[11][12][13] The Guardian ranks first in the United Kingdom the Schools of Physics and Astronomy, International Relations, Computer Science, Geography, English and Mathematics,[12] whilst The Times and Sunday Times ranks the Schools of English, Management, Philosophy, Anatomy and Physiology and Middle Eastern and African Studies first[14] and the Complete University Guide ranks Management, Divinity and Middle Eastern and African Studies first.[15] The Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking names St Andrews among the world's Top 50 universities for Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.[16][17] St Andrews has the highest student satisfaction (joint first) amongst all multi-faculty universities in the United Kingdom.[18]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_St_Andrews

[Cicada]

55. think Arianna Huffington

I do not know Arianna Huffington. But a roommate of mine was in a religious cult with her and he told me as it happened about some of the advice she gave about finding and marrying a rich man. She did find and marry a rich man. Arianna Huffington is friends with basically every important person on earth. This is not an accident. And it is not a criticism of her to point out that she is calculating. That does not make her insincere. She is sincere. She also just happens to know how the world works, and how to do things and say things which will help people see you in an appropriately positive light.

So yes I do not find it an accident that one of the millions who wanted to marry William ended up marrying him.

[cwydro]

57. I find that comment to be insulting to both of them.

Such an odd thing to say.

[Cicada]

58. Once upon a time I would have agreed

But then I lived with a woman for five years who opened my eyes to many things. She had the highest grades ever at our law school by a decent margin. She clerked at the Supreme Court. You would think the anonymous grades were simply due to her brilliance and hard work. But they were more. She explained that she figured out what a professor wanted to hear. She became friends with teachers and got to know what they thought. She did not write answers she thought were best but instead wrote answers she knew fit the world view of the teacher. In my opinion she learned to read people because her parents were cruel and she had to read their minds to avoid angering them. She was not unusually attractive but had some amazing lovers. A beautiful guy for instance who was in the Vermont legislature tho only 21 years old. I never suspected, figuring he would not be interested in her. I came to understand that some people can create the world they want. Millions wanted to marry William but only one did. When it was announced that William would attend St Andrews Kate changed colleges to go there. Her childhood room had his photo, she had always been in love with him. Having seen someone who could achieve anything, who explained to me precisely how she did it, how she figured out what a person would think and how they would respond, I am afraid I suspect they did not just happen to meet and then fell in love. And with time I understand that that is not a bad thing. I do not think Bill Clinton became President by accident. Arkansas did not have the highest job growth of all states by accident. The US did not have the greatest job growth during the Clinton years of the G20 by accident.

Some people see the world more deeply than others and figure out how to create circumstances which they want.

Meghan, just engaged. Read about her. You will find she is good friends with an amazing number of interesting, important people. Arianna Huffington is good friends with just about every important person on earth. My roommate before law school was in a religious cult with her and he told me some things she said to the women there about how to find and marry a rich husband, which she then did. Now this sounds calculating, and it is. But this is not a bad thing, this is how many wonderful things come to happen. It was not chance alone that got Thurgood Marshall to broaden his views from race discrimination to sex discrimination, it was also a very clever young woman he called sugar who slept in his bathtub at the Supreme Court because she had too much work to do to make the world better than to go home to sleep. This is not a bad thing, this wonderful Kate Middleton.

[cwydro]

59. Oh lordie.

Never mind.

[Cicada]

66. Millions wanted him, one got him. Accident?

Why did she drop her spot at Edinburgh, ranked fifth in the U.K., for St Andrews, ranked 16th, once it was announced William would go there?

Ok, one of the most interesting books ever was Caro’s first book about LBJ. You like politics and I am sure you will love this book. You can learn something reading it. For instance you can learn that LBJ had absolutely incredible ability to get all those around him to do what he wanted. Some people can get the rest of us to do what they want. When millions want William and one gets him the odds are very high that that one has traits like those LBJ had.

That’s amazing! And extremely interesting. Don’t shut your mind to this insight I am giving you. If you give my view a chance, if you read that Caro book, you will have heightened insight into politics at the highest level.

[cwydro]

67. Omg.

Kate is like LBJ!

[Glorfindel]

14. Also mixed-race groom, through his descent from Queen Charlotte

the consort of King George III. It's quite an interesting story.

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/englands-first-black-queen-sophie-charlotte-born

[eppur_se_muova]

28. Interesting, thanks ! nt

[smirkymonkey]

30. That is interesting. I never knew that. I wonder if more will be made of it now that

Harry is marrying Meghan. I am sure the Royal Family has downplayed it up until this point.

[colorado_ufo]

46. Those are the names of William and Kate's

children, George and Charlotte.

[Glorfindel]

47. Ha! So they are. I hadn't thought of that. Good catch.

[not fooled]

22. And they take the pressure off the political leader

to act as entertainment and provide a spectacle.

And, modern monarchies serve as ambassadors for the heritage and culture of their countries.

Oh, and great for Harry for marrying for affection and compatibility. Surely that's a sign of further social evolution in the monarchy.

[adigal]

69. No, it's not. That is what they tell you. If true, France would have NO tourism, and they are #1 in

world.
And we KNOW what the French did to their royals.

[TexasBushwhacker]

106. They sell a lot of newspapers and magazines too n/t

[Botany]

6. Didn't we have a war in 1776 so we didn't have to deal w/the fake idea that people can ...

... be "born w/Royal blood?"

I wish the couple well and I wish even harder that I'll never have to hear one
word about their upcoming wedding and or their various births and deaths.

[malaise]

8. Well then we'll both have to turn off our TVs

because it will be non-stop mush from now until the wedding.

And yes this royal blood BS is overbearing.

[Botany]

10. Boy I can't wait to see what the young lady's dress will look like.

And will she have a wedding gown and a different outfit for her post wedding
parties?

[malaise]

15. ROFL

and then it will be war for the 'look alike' dresses at the bridal shops

[MoonRiver]

16. And when will the first baby prince or princess arrive???

Inquiring minds WANT to know!

[smirkymonkey]

32. She will be 37 by the time a first baby arrives, if it does.

I am wondering if they are set on having children. If so, they should make it a priority before she gets much older.

[VMA131Marine]

54. There are no succession issues, so they could adopt ....

[adigal]

73. It is her second wedding, so will she wear white, a long veil, etc???

I wonder. Hahahahah

[TexasBushwhacker]

105. Unlikely. They may only have a civil ceremony

That's what Charles and Camilla did.

[LanternWaste]

11. No. That conflict was due to the crown deciding to make the American colonies

"Didn't we have a war in 1776 so we didn't have to deal w/the fake idea that people can..."

No. That particular conflict was due to the Proclamation of 1763 and the crown deciding to make the American colonies pay a large share of the war debt from the French and Indian War via additional tax mechanisms.

[el_bryanto]

13. I don't know I think Count Chocula has been an ok ruler for Chocsylvania

But there are a lot more negative examples I admit.

Bryant

[malaise]

45. I had to look that up

Seriously

[NotASurfer]

17. Any excuse to play "God Save the Queen"

https://m.

#

(Somebody had to put it out there)

[geardaddy]

18. Win

[malaise]

21. BwaaaaaaaaaaaaahHahaha

[Butterflylady]

19. Me too!

This is great news. She's going to make a great princess!

[PatrickforO]

20. Looks like they are a very happy couple, and I wish them the best.

Anybody getting pissed because she's black...fuck them. She's going to be a fine Duchess!

[dalton99a]

24. Nice work if you can get it anymore

But congrats to the couple

[jg10003]

26. the British monarchy still exists because the...

Majority of British citizens want it. So in a sense, the monarchy is a result of democracy.

[EffieBlack]

33. Exactly!

The British people seem to be very happy with their monarchy, so i'm not going to second-guess them.

Moreover, the royal children didn't ask to be born into this family and this generation - especially Harry and William - appear to be doing everything they can to earn their keep. They seem like caring, humble, decent young men and I like them immensely.

[Dave Starsky]

37. Both brothers seem like cool guys.

Someone you could literally have a beer with and enjoy a great conversation. They both leverage their station in life to try to bring some good to the world.

A far, far cry from the international humiliation and disgrace that serves as the mascot for this country.

[adigal]

79. Earn their keep?? Really? Did you miss when William and Harry both whined about being royal??

and said they want to pare down what royals have to do??
William did something like 170 events last year - and his events are about an hour long
Harry did 165 or so - an hour or so for each one
Queen E did 332
The 90 something Prince Philip did 219
Kate did 140
Charles did 530, plus runs the Prince's Trust, which he asked William or Harry to take over and both refused.

The younger royals don't want to work. They just want to renovate their estates, fly on helicopters to their vacations, buy 5K dresses, all courtesy of the Duchy, which is owned by.....ta dum!! The British people!!! They are spoiled, petulant, entitled, racist assholes.

Think Ivanka Trump's abuses, and being stuck with her family for 100 years. That is the younger branch of the BRF.

[EffieBlack]

100. William did fewer events because he had a full time job as an ambulance helicopter pilot

He gave up the job a few months ago so that he can focus on royal duties full time. He was in the military until 2013.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/-prince-william-steps-down-from-ambulance-job-to-become-fulltime-royal-20170727-gxjwqt.html

Princes William and Harry started their own charitable foundation a few years ago. Not sure where you got your claims that they refused to take on charitable work or asked that royal duties be scaled back. Got a cite?

[EffieBlack]

104. Crickets

Looks like you just made that up ...

[Denzil_DC]

74. "the monarchy is a result of democracy"

Hmm.

See this thread from a few days ago where I had a brief debate with someone about "How can voters choose to demand a vote to get rid of the monarchy in a constitutional monarchy?": https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9865534

[malaise]

95. That was an excellent post

[Denzil_DC]

96. Thanks!

Maybe you could tell, I had a bit of hoot writing it.

We're still stuck with 'em, though ...

[malaise]

97. I saw that

[Vinca]

27. But you must like their monarchy better than our monarchy.

Give me Harry any day over Jared.

[adigal]

82. Do you like Harry in his Nazi uniform or William in his Native outfit better?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1481148/Prince-Harry-faces-outcry-at-Nazi-outfit.html

[Vinca]

109. Do I need to provide you with a road map to locate your sense of humor?

[melm00se]

110. a dumb move

by a 20 year old kid.

I guess you were never were a dumb kid?

[eppur_se_muova]

29. Awwww...

[malaise]

56. You win the thread

Those are fine

[Oneironaut]

31. Haha yes.

Are the “monarchs” in the UK real government entities? I always thought they were just powerless figureheads.

[LeftInTX]

40. I believe the monarchy is a back-up

In case Parliament dissolves or something far-fetched like that.

I also read the Queen is the final signature for war declaration.

[Oneironaut]

42. Ohhh ok - thanks

[ananda]

34. That's wonderful!

I was really rooting for them!

I hope that means he's ditched his
youthful neonazi proclivities.

[TomVilmer]

36. USA has made its own royal families...

It does not feel much better, when incompetent leaders becomes politicians or even presidents mainly through family connections. Some of this even formalized as the Widow's Succession (and never the other way round). And allowing Big Money to buy their own politicians...

[nocalflea]

41. Don't despair. The deep state has this covered.

Agent in place !
Finally payback for Benedict Arnolding us .

First objective : silencing those chaos agents known as corgis.

Second objective : producing beautiful heirs to the throne.

Third objective: trimming the Prince of Wales' ears (oops the shears slipped).

Fourth objective : Send the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children on a state visit to British Virgin Islands (family last seen on sailboat nearing the Bermuda triangle).

Fifth objective : Sit back and wait.

Sixth objective: King Harry tours the U.S. ( Denali National Park, inebriated King attacked by Grizzly while pissing in snowbank).

Upon his majority, King Barry successfully petitions the Prime Minister and Parliament to officially change "Guy Hawks Day" to " Benedict Arnold and all those other Treasonweasels Day"

Farage, Trump and Assange become the top selling effigys.

On July 4th,2039 - King Barry declares the end of the British Monarchy in stirring address to the nation, " Promoting inherited wealth and social status is soooo 21st century thinking. Now excuse me , I have a barbecue to attend. "

[edbermac]

43. I will take their Queen over our Court Jester in a heartbeat.

[FarCenter]

44. Monarchies are good, because they always decline and are replaced by oligarchies.

The two stable forms of government are a monarch/emperor allied with the peasants/plebeians and an oligarchy allied with the burghers/bourgeoisie.

The top/bottom alliance versus the middle. Dictator/proletariat versus the capitalists.

[applegrove]

63. I like Harry. He's one smart egg to fall for Meghan. Royals are lucky to

have her.

[malaise]

64. Well Groper Don the Con will be pissed at all the attention they willl receive

and he will not be invited. That should be serious fun.

[applegrove]

65. Did not think of that. Can the royal family not invite a President of the United States? We

know the Obamas will be invited.

[malaise]

70. Of course they can

Remember the Queen had no plan of meeting the Con.

[adigal]

84. William and Kate didn't invite the Obamas, who were in office nt

[applegrove]

99. Okay. Good to know.

[adigal]

83. You like Lazy Harry the nazi???

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1481148/Prince-Harry-faces-outcry-at-Nazi-outfit.html

[adigal]

68. I'm really "Meh" on her...a successful woman, giving up her entire life for Nazi uniform wearing guy

Harry is unemployed, poorly educated, just shows up for the photo-ops for "his" charities after all the work is done and wore a Nazi uniform to a party when in his 20s.
Meghan is well educated, made a life as an actress, which isn't easy, has a life of her own, and dropped it all to go live with the lazy sot, in another country, joining a family who will make her life hell.
I wonder what is really in it for her besides all the money the British taxpayers will provide and fame and status. Hmmmm.....

[malaise]

72. Isn't that the cold hard truth

Until we burn books like Cinderella, girls and women will aspire for this bullshit

[adigal]

75. That is so true!! The only story I liked for my daughter was Beauty and the Beast

cause HE changed for Belle.
Now my daughter is a hard core feminist who is applying for her Phd in studies of how society creates what we think women should be. If I got that right?? Ha!

[malaise]

77. That's wonderful

and yes it is society led by religion and the state that creates these roles - and many parents and grandparents (and the fugging schools) willingly push the agenda.

[Denzil_DC]

78. You're saying ...

she could have done better?

Heh.

You could be right. I'm a Brit, and not a royalist.

But I don't envy either of them the inevitable press intrusion, and the horrible tendency to build these public figures up only to knock them down again at a strategic point. They did that to Harry's mum. It was sickening to watch the hypocrisy after her death.

[adigal]

80. I don't think Meghan could have done much better if money and fame are important to her

She looks like the cat that got the canary.

But if she cares about the things she has claimed to care about - women making their own way, feminism, etc. - then she is full of it. Cause as a Brit, you know that the British Royal family will knock her down to make her less showy, less outgoing, less threatening to Kate's place in the media. They will shut her up, and shut her down. She will be a shadow of herself. I think she is nuts marrying into this family, especially not being British, divorced and an actress who took a lot of her clothes off on tv. I can't imagine the British public falling in love with her.

[Denzil_DC]

86. Given the state of the UK at the moment, I suspect this will be grabbed at as a feelgood moment.

One of the royal family's functions is to provide a continuity of distraction!

Harry's a minor royal ("the spare" ), in a position that in the past's bred wastrels and libertines, and as you outlined above, he's not infrequently been an embarrassment. He took a long time to grow up - maybe inevitable given his childhood. I think those who care about these things will probably hope she'll straighten him out once and for all.

We'll have to wait and see how it pans out. I think the royal entourage learned a few lessons from Diana's time. Her two sons, still marked by that, are unlikely to let all the internal palace politicking get so out of hand again, I reckon. She'll probably get on with her future sister-in-law OK.

I think the trend in future will be to downscale the royals to Nordic standards, and another photogenic face to take up the slack of public appearances will probably be welcome since the queen's getting on and old Philip can't do it any more.

Like I said, I'm not a royalist, but I can't be bothered harboring personal animosity against any of them who doesn't go out of their way to earn it.

[adigal]

88. True about the animosity, but I can't get past that Nazi uniform....and he wasn't a child

He was in his 20s.
He gets a pass cause he is harry, prince of whatever.

[panader0]

85. Aside from the brutal history of English imperialism,

I remember Bobby Sands and the Struggles. Reading 'Trinity' by Leon Uris
gave me some insight too. The Royals are a royal pain in the ass.
But I've always kind of liked Harry and now his choice of a bride.

[GoCubsGo]

87. Yeah. Generally, I dont' give a shit about this.

I'm already sick of hearing about it, and I definitely don't look forward the non-stop hoopla over it But, knowing that it pisses off the racists will make it easier to get through it. That being said, I hope they have a happy life together. In spite of several incidents of stupidity, Harry has actually turned out to be a decent kid. I wish him and his future wife well.

[adigal]

89. So you call wearing a Nazi uniform for fun an "incident of stupidity"?

I don't know what I call it, except horrible and unforgivable.

And he is a lazy, entitled sot, too. He and his brother love to hunt, too.

They kind of remind me of Trump's kids.

[GoCubsGo]

98. You are entitled to your opinion.

And, yes. Out of a young 20-something kid, I consider that stupidity. People grow up and change. Go stew in your bitterness somewhere else. I'm not interested in it.

[EffieBlack]

101. Thank you.

[steve2470]

108. It was extremely stupid and he was pretty young then

He got reamed for it in the media and I think he learned his lesson. Harry is not a Nazi, it was just really stupid.


eta: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1481148/Prince-Harry-faces-outcry-at-Nazi-outfit.html

It happened in 2005 when he was only 20. God knows I did some stupid things at that age. Not a Nazi uniform but others. If he had been 30 or 40, I wouldn't be so kind about it.

[trixie2]

90. Mom, is that you?

She was a vehement anti monarchist but she would love this.

[malaise]

93. LOL

My dad's oldest sister hated the royals, and detested colonialism and imperialism. One of my oldest childhood memories is her acerbic comments re celebrations in 1953. She had a profound influence on my world view.

[Beakybird]

92. We used to be a semblance of a democracy

but now we have the Royal Asshole.

[Bucky]

94. I will join in criticizing monarchy as soon as my democracy pulls its shit together

[Sneederbunk]

107. I kind of liked Leonardo, king of Bongo Congo.