tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post7140667945080277844..comments2024-03-28T09:55:42.123+00:00Comments on Capitalists@Work: Arise Lord Quango....CityUnslickerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-1602940857314622782013-07-29T12:34:49.676+01:002013-07-29T12:34:49.676+01:00I want Lord Quango in charge - now.I want Lord Quango in charge - now.James Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-4523069640074972842013-07-27T15:17:01.001+01:002013-07-27T15:17:01.001+01:00And then you get a President like Obummer or Chave...And then you get a President like Obummer or Chavez - no thank you.<br /><br />They make the case for a constitutional monarchy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-5876728684823373062013-07-27T15:10:34.722+01:002013-07-27T15:10:34.722+01:00And then you get a President like Obummer or Chave...And then you get a President like Obummer or Chavez - no thank you.<br /><br />They make the case for a constitutional monarchy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-85034557047878706602013-07-27T11:43:52.279+01:002013-07-27T11:43:52.279+01:00@visc,
Commonwealth citizens have always been able...@visc,<br />Commonwealth citizens have always been able to vote for MPs in the UK, as they used to be British subjects. EU citizens can't vote for MPs (except Cypriots and Maltese as they are also Commonwealth, and Irish as they were British until the 1920s anyway)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-91324333966372279962013-07-26T10:53:51.579+01:002013-07-26T10:53:51.579+01:00Tangentially: Talking of voting for a President - ...Tangentially: Talking of voting for a President - who would get to vote - only Uk passport holders? It seems to me teh franchise has some how expanded beyond those whop hold a British or Irish passport in the last 20 - 30 years.viscnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-24721008936968780462013-07-26T09:24:58.681+01:002013-07-26T09:24:58.681+01:00"as long as we can vote and he has to campaig..."as long as we can vote and he has to campaign"<br /><br />What, vote like we do for a government? Several completely indistinguishable candidates, all of them fully paid-up members of the untouchable political class? <br /><br />All of them in favour of a bigger state, higher taxes, windmills, and the EU?<br /><br />No thanks. <br /><br />One of the great things about the royals is that they are not, have never been, and never will be politicians.<br /><br />Getting rid of the monarchy wouldn't remove the current ruling class: they are not those people any more.Weekend Yachtsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262853091154005651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-30733548929582129262013-07-26T09:06:18.046+01:002013-07-26T09:06:18.046+01:00As an irish passport holder I could never be Presi...As an irish passport holder I could never be President Unslicker...CityUnslickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-27706639833738186962013-07-26T07:52:56.715+01:002013-07-26T07:52:56.715+01:00Aaargh errant apostrophe. Send me to the Tower.Aaargh errant apostrophe. Send me to the Tower.Blue Eyesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-16119504099032845972013-07-26T07:51:31.012+01:002013-07-26T07:51:31.012+01:00ND agreed as always.
The Americans ++HAD++ an all...ND agreed as always.<br /><br />The Americans ++HAD++ an allegiance to the principles of their strictly limited government, free republic. I don't know when they started forgetting about it, but these days they pick the GWB's and European-style democratic socialists so I don't think they can argue that their system is significantly different from ours. <br /><br />What *is* a community organiser, anyway?Blue Eyesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-89129911942634609062013-07-25T22:23:23.094+01:002013-07-25T22:23:23.094+01:00watch the White Queen, or any of the all-too-many ...watch the White Queen, or any of the all-too-many progs on the Tudors, to see what happens when it's known to be open season on the Top Job<br /><br />stable & undisputed succession at the Very Top is vital, from here to N.Korea - either that, or genuine allegiance to something abstract<br /><br />the latter is rare - the USA in days gone by (perhaps), or a supreme religious representative (Iran)Nick Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670594203660051701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-75657425865404966152013-07-25T22:08:56.668+01:002013-07-25T22:08:56.668+01:00Leaving aside the very important points that DtP m...Leaving aside the very important points that DtP makes, which are basically that as soon as you start quickly replacing one role you find that the whole house of cards starts crashing down, there are about a million things to fix first before richarding about with the Monarchy.<br /><br />And sorry your main thrust still doesn't really work. You say the PM has too much power. Surely more people would be vying for that power than some kind of ceremonial Posh Spice role? How would anything be more aspirational by creating a new non-job?<br /><br />The Royal Family seems very good at what it does. We would soon get bored of President Unslicker cutting ribbons and giving out gongs and probably President Unslicker would get bored too. <br /><br />Sorry, I just don't buy it. The tone from the top is very much NOT set by Her Maj. Her Maj has presided over enormous changes, most of which have bubbled up from the bottom, the middle and near the top. She has not resisted any of them.Blue Eyesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-30372834683218018792013-07-25T19:44:59.913+01:002013-07-25T19:44:59.913+01:00Wot BE said.
1 word - Chavez!!!Wot BE said. <br /><br /> 1 word - Chavez!!!DtPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-20996770579228445002013-07-25T19:40:43.173+01:002013-07-25T19:40:43.173+01:00I have worked in ltos of large organisations BE. W...I have worked in ltos of large organisations BE. Whilst I agree this is not a panacea and was never meant to come across as one; I have learned that behaviours go top down far more than bottom up. We have to do a hug range of things to improve social mobility - this is just one of them.CityUnslickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-1494218609990889132013-07-25T19:38:27.002+01:002013-07-25T19:38:27.002+01:00@CU - I respectfully disagree. Any process of tran...@CU - I respectfully disagree. Any process of transference would inherently require paper work, stipulations, procedures, conventions and a whole host of any other shite that can be slipped in there. I've never been sold on a constitution or a bill of rights for much the same reason - it become limited as soon as regulated. The class system in Britain, if anything, is a method of etiquette.<br /><br /> I'm 38 now and remember doing essays on George Soros killing the Bank of England with £7 billion as gambling cash and a rainy morning, a whinging missus and a chip on his shoulder. Scroll on 20 years and none of us round these parts shudder much at a couple of hundred billion. Balls was pushing the line that the US has got 3X more growth but same goes QE, the tit.<br /><br /> As soon as you put any arguments about retention of the monarchy - it looks like waffle. However, they're good people, they're nice people. By their lineage they prevent execution - there's always another one. You do that with elections and, fuck me, John Presott could still be there. <br /><br /> It ain't maths, logic's got fuck all to do with any of it. It kinda works. One of my top drinking dudettes was the Mayor of our borough and it's all glad handing, kiddy plays and meet the fucking pensioners. Politics isn't really about opinion at all, mainly, there's shed loads of admin to get through. <br /><br /> An office is still a person and the Windsors have quite a decent rule book available to all.DtPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-63715490762505971162013-07-25T19:35:47.874+01:002013-07-25T19:35:47.874+01:00CU, I wasn't addressing you about wealth, but ...CU, I wasn't addressing you about wealth, but (unsurprisingly?) the commenter who remarked on it.deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-52086952353489746502013-07-25T19:20:51.972+01:002013-07-25T19:20:51.972+01:00Sorry CU, I find your argument has a huge gaping (...Sorry CU, I find your argument has a huge gaping (flawed) assumption in it. You assume that having someone else as head we would suddenly have a more socially mobile society. Not true. We would just have the same political class sitting in rearrange deckchairs, IF we did not make some other changes.<br /><br />The key reason Britain is currently going backwards in social mobility has absolutely nothing to do with the monarchy. It has to do with education, vested interests (see the professions in particular, but not exclusively) and a pervasive attitude of "meh".<br /><br />David Beckham and Cherie Blair did not push themselves because they thought that one day they might be president. Alan Sugar doesn't think to himself "hey, only one item left to tick off my list of ambitions, let's go for a republic!".<br /><br />Nah. I think you've mixed up several issues into one. Blue Eyesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-48347184795819220062013-07-25T15:44:59.186+01:002013-07-25T15:44:59.186+01:00Dearieme - where do I say givien away some of thei...Dearieme - where do I say givien away some of their vast wealth?? I have no interest in their wealth, purely the position. <br /><br />DtP - Many of your roles are directly transferable or reformable with a President. Not buying that as an issue not to do it.<br /><br />Ryan - OK, happy to agree here we need less politicians, starting by no MEP's and about 500 MP's. Agree, less politicians. But the Queen has a role which because it is powerless allows Politicians to interfere more in people lives than would happen under a president, which would provide more blockage to the system.CityUnslickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-43732438408634155382013-07-25T13:50:45.158+01:002013-07-25T13:50:45.158+01:00"The biggest issue today in the UK is social ..."The biggest issue today in the UK is social mobility" because, in large part, the republican-inclined Labour Party set out to destroy the grammar schools.<br /><br />"... giving away some of their vast wealth": I'm puzzled to know how you know how much wealth the Windsor family has.deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-68051530858902675432013-07-25T13:16:03.007+01:002013-07-25T13:16:03.007+01:00The test comes when the monarchy falls out of favo...The test comes when the monarchy falls out of favour....at the moment they're on a high and can do no wrong. I think they would be wise to downsize a bit and sell off some of their assets giving away some of their vast wealth (help pay off some of the national debt perhaps?) before the day of reckoning comes. They should remember what happened in France and Russia to their monarchies.Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-22195579825683986732013-07-25T12:50:43.616+01:002013-07-25T12:50:43.616+01:00Ryan, agree with much of what you said ... which r...Ryan, agree with much of what you said ... which reminede me of Disreali:<br /><br />"The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians."<br />viscnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-11495440817779987642013-07-25T12:44:06.669+01:002013-07-25T12:44:06.669+01:00Ta for the mention, but please note that I am also...Ta for the mention, but please note that I am also a "committed home owner". <br /><br />It's lovely owning your own house to decorate and sell as and when you please. Call me old fashioned (and evidence shows home ownership is bad for the economy, but so what).<br /><br />Problem is that a too small group own too many homes, as a result of which there have to be a lot of tenants and a lot of people with very big mortgages who end up losing huge amounts of money over their lifetimes.<br /><br />And evidence from earlier happier days - the 1950s and 1960s - tells us exactly how to achieve high rates of owner-occupation.<br /><br />None of which has much to do with president vs royal family debate. My preference would be "neither" like in Switzerland where nobody even knows or cares who the prime minister is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-43587041377501413532013-07-25T12:18:10.404+01:002013-07-25T12:18:10.404+01:00Yes, because what this country needs right now is ...Yes, because what this country needs right now is MORE POLITICIANS!!!!!<br /><br />/sarc<br /><br />Personally I reckon we should abolish the House of Commons, and go back to being governed by the Monarch, with the government formed from the House of Lords (hereditaries only of course). We've had 100+ years of this democratically elected politicians lark, and look where its got us. From an empire that spanned the globe to a tin pot country thats stony broke.Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-12996157957264962182013-07-25T11:29:35.006+01:002013-07-25T11:29:35.006+01:00"The US simply does not have this."
Bul..."The US simply does not have this."<br /><br />Bullshit. The Bush family is a dynasty. The Kennedy family is a dynasty. There are plenty more examples when you care to take a look under the rock. You are a victim of American propaganda. <br /><br />One of the benefits of the British class system is that rich families content themsleves with being posh and don't meddle too much with the lives of the hoi-polloi. <br /><br />Britain is a great country but let down by its politicians mainly because it politicians ARE politicians and not leaders. Most of them are upper middle class ex-public schoolboys trained only to climb the greasy pole and with no vision. Our best approach is to start getting together ourselves to make a better Britain without the politicians getting in the way - this is what the Victorians did and Britain was better for it. We have become infected by the Socialists nonsense that the state should lead everything.<br /><br />Ryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-78521438382808877302013-07-25T11:16:05.750+01:002013-07-25T11:16:05.750+01:00DTP:++Cranmer would shit the bed!
Tea-nose-keyboa...DTP:++Cranmer would shit the bed!<br /><br />Tea-nose-keyboard incident recorded in accidents in the workplace book.Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-26333637037703984112013-07-25T10:46:26.445+01:002013-07-25T10:46:26.445+01:00Plus - and here's a doozy - how would it be ch...Plus - and here's a doozy - how would it be changed?<br /><br />1) Privvy Council<br />2) Ad hoc select committee<br />3) Royal Commission?<br />4) Primary Legislation<br />5) Referendum<br />6) Royal Perogative?<br /><br /> It's like the Scotland Bill - whenever you get near it, you want to run away. ++Cranmer would shit the bed!DtPnoreply@blogger.com