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LadyEllen -> RE: Giovanni Di Biaggios (10/13/2006 9:52:04 AM)
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ORIGINAL: NorthernGent
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ORIGINAL: darkinshadows
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The monarchy have to go. It's a not a personality thing - it's the concept. I could live with them supporting themselves and giving up their possessions. Providing we move away from the magical world where they have everything free at our expense
NG - now you know, I would love to be your campaign manager... but seriously - a question. If the monachy supported themselves and gave up their possessions - and I would like to for a moment focus on their possessions - what would you have done with them? What and who would get the buildings, the residencies, the paintings and the wealth of antiques? (OK so I am an art and artifact freak) Would you have them sold off? Sent abroad so that our culture looses some of its identity? I for one would loathe seeing people of the likes of Trump, or Gates or some regime in some deprived country displaying such national treasures above their fireplaces. Where would the money come to make sure that these buildings do not fall into disrepair? Are you seriously suggesting that these great buildings become nothing more than penthouses for the RICH and FAMOUS... because that is what they will become unless you have some plan to back that up.... Peace and Rapture
dark, I have one big fat plan. Now, being an artist, I know you're not going to like this but here it is.
Sell the lot of it - every last drop of it from the crown jewels to the silver candlesticks to the queen's undercracks. The paintings, the stately homes, the plates, the silver candlesticks, you name it, sell the lot of it. Use the cash to do some good.
Who actually wanders around stately homes? I'll take a wild stab in the dark and say that 90% of people who go to these places are middle-class i.e. tarquin & co from Kensington. They're upper class possessions for middle-class entertainment.
We will still have our history, we will always have our history but that's exactly what it is - history. If I play the I did a history degree card will it add anything to my argument? Let's look forward. Sell all of this stuff and put it to some good - into education, into schools, into housing.
If the Americans want this stuff let them have it. As long we get the money to invest. If no one is interested then let's turn these places into apartments and house the homeless. Let's not question who is entitled to what based on employment etc. Let's allocate these things based on need. Those most in need are priority.
Oh, for goodness' sake! Here's a plan for a haulage company that would really make its money work;
Buy a fleet of trucks - then sell them off.
Or,
Buy a fleet of trucks, put them to work, and make money - and still have the trucks.
If I did plan A, I'd be broke. If I did plan B, I'd make a whole lotta bunce and still be able to sell the trucks afterwards.
All the treasure you mention are not just there. As youre so happy to point out time and again, theyre the blood, sweat and tears of the ordinary people of this country. As such, they are not for sale - especially not for the proceeds of such a sale to be wasted by the disorganised, mismanaged organisations of the state.
If we kept them, we could charge people to see them, and make money from them which could then be wasted by the disorganised, mismanaged organisations of the state. And we'd keep them too, into the bargain.
I think you really do misunderstand the position of the monarchy NG. Apart from personal possessions which are a tiny fraction of what they own, much of this stuff you want to sell off, already belongs to the people, through the state - they are in the monarchy's keeping, but they do not own them. We fought a civil war a while back, and invited the monarchy back only on the terms of the people.
And if we did sell it all - we wouldnt get too much for it. Such a flood of art, artefacts and so on into the market, would quickly result in deflation of their value - especially when the buyers and dealers know we must sell them, according to some daft order.
What you seem to miss, every time, on this subject, is that the presence of a monarchy is not the determining factor in the social welfare of a country. Look anywhere you will at countries who have gotten rid of their monarchy - strangely enough, they have not realised any utopia, strangely enough, they still have problems alike with our own. Why would your plan result in any different situation in the UK, than it has anywhere else in the world? Even if I said the monarchy dont improve the social welfare of the country - they certainly dont make it any worse!
And if you executed your plan, the same thing would happen here as it has everywhere else that such a plan has been executed. You would have a different form of royalty arising, a politicised president who is bought and sold by lobby groups etc etc.
What on earth is it that you have against the monarchy? If you want to know who the true culprits are for the issues we face, then you are on entirely the wrong track in hounding the Saxe-Coburg family down at Windsor!
E
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