We're not ruled by a monarchy, we're ruled by parliament.
Pledging allegiance to the Queen? Page 2
Let us march on the palaces and crush this hereditary Judeo-Christian monarchy.
Rise up my brethren and together will raze this nation state to the ground. For far too long we have been subjects of this incestuous family of Germans. We have allowed ourselves to be subjugated beneath the heel of the upper classes, kowtowing to this self elected hierarchy.
Mere accidents of birth have placed us where we are, in the quagmire, licking at the dirt and shit, whilst those with the power decide our fate.
March, march now. Take up arms against the system that crushes you. Destroy the establishments that hold you back. For this country will not be truly free, will not be able to claim that is the one true cradle of democracy, until the battered and blooded body of the bitch, Queen Elizabeth, hangs from the flagpole atop Buckingham Palace and the corpses of her family rot on the wrought iron gates.
kjs
Quote: EllieJP @ March 12, 2008, 10:38 AMBut considering a lot of people don't believe we should be ruled by a monarchy
If only!
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 12, 2008, 10:56 AMLet us march on the palaces and crush this hereditary Judeo-Christian monarchy.
Rise up my brethren and together will raze this nation state to the ground. For far too long we have been subjects of this incestuous family of Germans. We have allowed ourselves to be subjugated beneath the heel of the upper classes, kowtowing to this self elected hierarchy.
Mere accidents of birth have placed us where we are, in the quagmire, licking at the dirt and shit, whilst those with the power decide our fate.
March, march now. Take up arms against the system that crushes you. Destroy the establishments that hold you back. For this country will not be truly free, will not be able to claim that is the one true cradle of democracy, until the battered and blooded body of the bitch, Queen Elizabeth, hangs from the flagpole atop Buckingham Palace and the corpses of her family rot on the wrought iron gates.kjs
How pleasant. If only it were true. The people with "the power [who] decide our fate" are the ones we're f**king stupid enough to elect to the House of Commons.
Quote: Aaron @ March 12, 2008, 10:58 AMThe people with "the power [who] decide our fate" are the ones we're f**king stupid enough to elect to the House of Commons.
The electoral system is a sham. It is nothing more than smoke and mirrors, a cheap magician’s trick to keep the proletariat happy whilst those with the power make the decisions.
In the 2005 election Labour received less than 36% of the popular vote, with a turnout of only 61% this actually means that less than 23% of those REGISTERED to vote, elected the government that runs this country.
This means that 87% of those registered to vote are disenfranchised. This is to say nothing about the fact that we have a Prime Minister that no one actually voted for.
You may not like the French Aaron but on July 14 1789 when they stormed the Bastille they had the right idea... Bring on la Terreur
kjs
We got a king here ... seems a very nice fellow! Amuses me all this allegiance pledging stuff ... who am I, and the million-or-so other expats in the country, supposed to allege our pledges to?
Quote: chipolata @ March 12, 2008, 10:39 AMWe're not ruled by a monarchy, we're ruled by parliament.
she is head of state though. and she opens and closes parliament. and any act of parliament needs "royal assent" before it finally passed.
i pledge allegiance to Icke. death to the liazrd people.
Could someone link me an article we are all chatting about? Is there a proposal to force people to pledge?
And Kjs i'm totally with yea on the topic of proportional representation. I love John Cleese's examples.
Well, KJS, do you fancy...President Blair?
He's dreamy 
Quote: bushbaby @ March 12, 2008, 12:42 PMWell, KJS, do you fancy...President Blair?
Blair would never win a presidential campaign... he shot himself in the foot over Iraq...
Our problem is that we have no statesmen, just self-serving soundbite merchants. The only person in British politics worthy of being president is Tony Benn and I fear he is too old...
kjs
Frankly President Blair, would have a stronger air of legitimacy, then our prune faced queen. He at least has proved an abillity to lead, and bar a slight whoopsy in Iraq, probably murdering his opponents, and PFIing us into hock for generations. Wasn't a bad Primeminister
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 12, 2008, 11:15 AMThis is to say nothing about the fact that we have a Prime Minister that no one actually voted for.
I hate to sound like I'm standing up for him, but as we don't vote for a Prime Minister, this argument is null and void. (As for disenfranchisement, the other 39% of people aren't disenfranchised; they made their choice not to vote, so have no right to complain or feel hard-done-by when a person or persons they do not like gets into power. The fact that Labour only got 36%, and that - if I remember rightly - they got less votes in England than the Conservatives did is a whole different matter again.)
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 12, 2008, 11:15 AMYou may not like the French Aaron but on July 14 1789 when they stormed the Bastille they had the right idea... Bring on la Terreur
I disagree. Well ... Killing Frenchies is obviously a good thing. But the principle I disagree with in the strongest possible terms.
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 12, 2008, 1:22 PMOur problem is that we have no statesmen, just self-serving soundbite merchants.
I somehow don't think that this is a uniquely British problem, as you seem to be implying.
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 12, 2008, 1:22 PMThe only person in British politics worthy of being president is Tony Benn
Jeremy Clarkson for Prime minister. 
Tony Benn should be beheaded at the Tower of London for high treason, along with George Galloway. Both visited, and gave comfort, and support to a country, this country was at war with at the time. The fact that are streets are over run with violent thugs. Is directly attributable to our courts unwillingness to hold MPs to account for acts of treason.
Quote: johnny roulette @ March 12, 2008, 12:02 PMshe is head of state though. and she opens and closes parliament. and any act of parliament needs "royal assent" before it finally passed.
She has to rubber stamp everything that's put in front of her nose. She knows which side her bread's buttered. She probably hires a 50-strong team with specialist butter knives to do it.
I actually think it's quite a nice idea. What harm does it do? If the queen represents the country (like a flag, or Big Ben, or anything else that is symbolic, has no *actual* power and could be done away with) then why not let kiddies pledge allegiance to her when they leave school? I think the ceremony would be quite cool. Sweet, archaic and unifying.