tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post115800941063852600..comments2023-10-31T08:56:45.120+00:00Comments on god is not elsewhere: the queen and igareth higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06433334411253956639noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158247601112345172006-09-14T16:26:00.000+01:002006-09-14T16:26:00.000+01:00We don't have a constitution to stratify. The Roya...We don't have a constitution to stratify. The Royal Family are still there because we -- the democratic we rather than me or anyone else here -- want them to be. Bit like the death penalty in the US.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158244778104104932006-09-14T15:39:00.000+01:002006-09-14T15:39:00.000+01:00i love the smell of argy bargy in the afternoon......i love the smell of argy bargy in the afternoon....<BR/><BR/>how can a christian defend a constitutionally stratified society?<BR/><BR/>i don't know. should ask your president.mister tumnushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08267299982613022432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158185975208333272006-09-13T23:19:00.000+01:002006-09-13T23:19:00.000+01:00we can't defend it and i'm not.i meant elitism gen...we can't defend it and i'm not.<BR/><BR/>i meant elitism generally, rather than elitism, generally. i.e. elitism is a bad idea per se.<BR/><BR/>but the solution to this is not simple. i don't care for the monarchy - that much should be clear. but i don't think that abolishing it is a priority for me. i also don't think that a formal monarchy is necessarily much worse than an informal political elite.gareth higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06433334411253956639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158181362422012682006-09-13T22:02:00.000+01:002006-09-13T22:02:00.000+01:00Not dancing round the edges of the point, but you ...Not dancing round the edges of the point, but you think elitism "generally" (!) "isn't a good thing"! It don't get more elitist than monarchy, mate! Removing hereditary privilege from the British constitution is a step towards a fuller democracy. Are you prepared to say that you support that? If you do agree with monarchy within a free and equal society, how do you defend it? Yep, I'm a constitutional republican - im an american, so the R word sometimes gets a bad press, but I mean it in a more general sense here. I'd the impression you are writin a Christian blog here - how can a christian defend a constitutionally stratified society???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158180967512084792006-09-13T21:56:00.000+01:002006-09-13T21:56:00.000+01:00not sure i was dancing around the edges of what i ...not sure i was dancing around the edges of what i think about the monarchy - my view is that elitism generally isn't a good thing, but i don't think that doing away with the monarchy is necessarily going to automatically lead to an egalitarian society - and one or two members of our current royal family do at least seem to try to embody the idea of public service, whereas i think that politicians at the top of the tree often behave no differently to those with the worst kind of attitude to their inherited privileges.gareth higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06433334411253956639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158166142106523252006-09-13T17:49:00.000+01:002006-09-13T17:49:00.000+01:00Haven't seent he film, but I've no time for monarc...Haven't seent he film, but I've no time for monarchy. Why don't you say what you mean about monarchy, instead of dancing round the edges of it. It's a institution that's impossible to defend in a democracy. Produces chronies, and abuses people. Agree or disagree?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158151243335410582006-09-13T13:40:00.000+01:002006-09-13T13:40:00.000+01:00For shizzle. The benign narcissist says we're amas...For shizzle. The benign narcissist says we're amassing at his gig on the Wednesday?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158094479442208802006-09-12T21:54:00.000+01:002006-09-12T21:54:00.000+01:00fascinating as always mr simon 3w - i'm in your my...fascinating as always mr simon 3w - i'm in your mysterious city from sunday until thursday of next week - wanna meet up at some point?gareth higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06433334411253956639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158078051560189762006-09-12T17:20:00.000+01:002006-09-12T17:20:00.000+01:00Little-remembered factoid you might like: in the 6...Little-remembered factoid you might like: in the 60s, the Royal Family did a fly-on-the-wall documentary for the BBC. It was supposed to boost their popularity by showing -- oh the joyous, horrible naivety -- how 'normal' they all were. The Queen was a big fan of TV at the time; she wanted to do lots more of it and had insisted that her coronation be televised.<BR/><BR/>Anyhoo, the doc backfired massively. Almost everyone watched it, but in her attempt to look ordinary Her Majesty ended up looking, well, ordinary. The show broke the sacred distance between Lord and serf and the Windsors' popularity started to plummet. Ever since she's refused to do almost any TV at all (and makes life very difficult for anyone who wants to use the clips from the 60s show). I heard somewhere that whoever the broadcaster she now always uses the same camera operator and sound recordist.<BR/><BR/>So lots of people have had their fingers burned with reality TV, but dear Liz was one of the first. It's one of the reasons she hides from it now. <BR/><BR/>Sorry, you may know all this. It just makes me laugh that she has to hide to maintain the star quality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31974854.post-1158034764077438742006-09-12T05:19:00.000+01:002006-09-12T05:19:00.000+01:00Sounds interesting and i will definitely have to c...Sounds interesting and i will definitely have to check it out. i LOVE Helen Mirren - she is a brilliant actress. Thanks! AdeleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com