Why Free Speech Isn't What You Think (Page 5) BAD_WOLF__: Oh you can search far and wide, You can drink the whole town dry, But you'll never find a beer so brown, Oh you'll never find a beer so brown, As the one we drink in our hometown, As the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ales, You can drink them by the flagon, But the only brew for the brave and true... ..Comes from the Green Dragon!!    Geoff: England may have an official state religion; one that is rather inclusive (Pratchett described the God of the English requiring nothing but that people act decently towards each other and keep the noise down). However, the British on the whole have long been a tolerant people (the occasional racist and bigot notwithstanding). We do this mainly by making religion a non-issue. It is impolite to ask someone what they believe, it is even more impolite to try to foist one's religious beliefs on others. As for the monarchy, it handily takes ultimate power out of anyone's hands. With the queen as head of state, the running of the country is left to Parliament. Ergo the Prime Minister's power is limited by being the first among equals, rather than being a president with all sorts of executive capabilities. As for the money the queen gets, it's more than made up for out with the tourism she brings into the UK and most of the funds are spent on maintaining the some of the country's finest architecture.  Zanjan: Which she lives in and owns by Royal right. In Canada, we call them museums. This might be a good time to talk about the Queen's swans and all the other wildlife in England she owns. Sounds a bit stag...nant to me. "With the queen as head of state, the running of the country is left to Parliament" Wow, less work for the same money - you guys sure got sucked in on that deal! The Queen is your tourist destination? I wouldn't go to see her, I'd go to see the rose gardens, especially David Austin's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing the Queen - I'm a Canadian and think she makes a fine role model for other Monarchs. She needs to do something about her hats though. " It is impolite to ask someone what they believe, it is even more impolite to try to foist one's religious beliefs on others." Who told you to say that?? Nobody in Canada follows etiquette but we do have the PC police, which I utterly ignore. (Edited by Zanjan) Geoff: The queen does do a lot of charity work. I'm not saying that the British way of doing things is perfect, but it's certainly stable. And learning etiquette is one of the things you grow up with. It is impolite to ask how much money someone makes, it is impolite to ask a woman if she is pregnant, and it is impolite to ask someone what they believe. Who'd have thought a Canadian had issues with politeness. Zanjan: Brits have a longstanding reputation for being "proper", and having a stiff upper lip; whereas, Canadians have a reputation for being polite yet laid back. To me, politeness is to be courteous - that means helpful, hospitable and thoughtful. In Alabama, everybody said "mam" to me with every sentence - got to be annoying until I was there long enough to become oblivious to it. I think it was just a habit for them and I'm not one for fake niceties. Manners are only taught to young children and those who are mentally disabled. If you have to teach an adult, it's too late. Nevertheless, we still maintain futile hopes. Etiquette, on the other hand, is conformity in behaviour. Each country would have a slightly different set of rules. If you're hitching a ride in Australia, don't you dare stick your thumb up, like you do here - stick it down or else! Etiquette is setting the table right, wearing the right costume for the occasion, not looking prettier than the bride, and not eating with your hands etc. Traditionally, it's about civilized conduct, civilized appearance, and civilized speech.  Farouquddeen Mumtaz: I like how Geoff speaks of politeness, and manners, while his GF spreads nudies of herself in Wireclub.  chronology: Zan Australians are indeed polite. A Australian Lawmaker who was arguing with a fellow Lawmaker lost it during the dispute and grabbed the other guy to head butt him. Before he head butted the guy he reached out and took the Guy's false teeth out and put them on the table. Now that is good manners. Geoff: Wow, Zanjan. You managed all that post without actually recognising that part of being courteous involves respect. That is why it is considered impolite to discuss another's religious beliefs in the UK. It's because believing in a great sky fairy who listens to your prayers is considered embarrassing, and we do try to avoid embarrassing each other.  lori100: " I want to know how God created this world. I'm not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details. " -----Einstein Geoff: For the record, during WWII the Queen (at the time, Princess Elizabeth) worked in a munitions factory. Her father, King George VI refused to be evacuated to Canada. When Buckingham Palace was bombed, the queen (the mother of the present queen, they were both named Elizabeth, it's gets confusing if you don't pay attention) said, "We can now look the East End in the eye. The East End being on the estuary was the hub of London's industrial and seafaring strength. Geoff: And Lori, you're cherry picking Einstein, as always. I am sure if he actually believed in the Judeo-Christian god, he would have accepted the presidency of Israel. His concept of god was certainly more complex than your average Wire user. lori100: It seems Einstein's belief in God changed over the years as it does with many people..----------. "God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically." --Einstein ......... who knows what his beliefs were at the end of his life? Geoff: As you won't ever know the Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous. You won't know the mindset of the Smart and the Brilliant. Like Nessie, perhaps he felt it was best to promote the myth for the greater good rather than personal conviction. Or maybe he felt that enough of his readers were sophisticated enough to take it as a metaphor for social justice. Or maybe he was suffering from dementia. Zanjan: Geoff: "That is why it is considered impolite to discuss another's religious beliefs in the UK." Such manners aren't apparent in British humour, which is mostly lockeroom and bathroom talk, peppered with a generous helping of spicy words. So much easier than addressing intellectual realities with a good chuckle. I'm aware of the Queen's resume - she's won esteem in the people's eyes for the things she's done, especially during the war. Yet that's the traditional role of a Sovereign - they have to be a military leader, with a good grasp of strategy and personal discipline. They have to be able to handle animals and champion worthy causes. Respect isn't something that has to be earned - it's plain civilized behaviour. That's why we don't torture our enemies. (Edited by Zanjan) Zanjan: That's why I appreciate her way of handling the family members around her. She could clean out the stables and came out smelling sweetly. Never a nary word. You and I can walk away from something we don't like, a Monarch can't. Ok, one of them did but he did it for the good of his family. He knew he wasn't king material. His replacement, however, had troubles with speech, made worse by the knowledge his people would mock him. Thus, he refrained from speaking until he could master his fears. He passed that courage onto his daughter. I wonder how many recall when hers shone most brightly - she was in a parade, riding her horse when a man in the crowd attempted to assassinate her. Everyone heard the shot, especially her horse. I watched in amazement - she didnt blink an eye. With a backbone of steel, she got her horse quickly under control and proceeded without a hitch while everyone else around her was going mad in the chaos. She never spoke a word about it either. I'll never forget that. (Edited by Zanjan) Geoff: When a man broke into her bedroom, she sat and politely talked with him until the guards arrived. Geoff: And for the record British humour is more renowned for irony (the British version, not the American) and surrealism. And very bad puns, and intelligent toilet humour. lori100: we don't know if any of the good stories about the royals are true...could all be propaganda...they were good friends with pedophiles though...and many were fans of Hitler...and Prince Charles is proud to be related to the real life royal Dracula...Vlad.....that is true... (Edited by lori100) Geoff: All of the Royals still extant in Europe are related to one another, which is why Prince William married a "Commoner". Edward VIII was forced to abdicate, although it was nominally for marrying Mrs Wallis-Simpson, it was actually because he was a complete prat and Nazi sympathiser. Yes, he convinced the queen (at the time) and the current queen (who was a child) to make Nazi salutes for the camera, but that was before anyone knew what they entailed. It's like painting lambs blood on your door without realising that other people's children are going to get killed. lori100: Pictured: Queen performs Nazi salute with Queen mother in shocking ... www.mirror.co.uk › News › UK News › The Queen Geoff: How old is the queen in that video? That was long before WWII. That was before the Nazis got to host the Olympics. Before Hitler was made Time Magazine man of the year. Geoff: For the record; people voted for Donald Trump. He might not turn out that bad, but I just want it on the record that I made the distinction in case the future turns out worse than I am hoping. | Off Topic Chat Room Similar Conversations |
