Happy St Georges Day!

neXus9

Originally posted by foreign

oh what an ideal world it would be if we could choose where our taxes go!

It's the fact that you all don't have a problem with it, that's what i'm getting at. I havn't met one English person who has actually complained about how much tax money has gone down the drain on their ridiculous luxuries.

Gordon

Happy belated Georges day. In Greece we celebrate it due to the name George. Hence - anyone called George has their own celebration on this day. And everyone else get's their own name day at other times in the year. Tho' me not thinks that there's a Gordon name day. And probably not a Turkish name name day either.

Such hate in this world there is. Yes.

sceptre

Originally posted by neXus9
I havn't met one English person who has actually complained about how much tax money has gone down the drain on their ridiculous luxuries.

As an avowed republican (with a very small r), I'm loath to say it but the monarchy turns a profit for the UK Treasury every year. Surprised? Thought so. Think I'm just talking about some vague tourist profit? Nope.

There's an agreement dating from 1760 whereby the civil list is funded by parliament in return for parliament getting all the profit from the Crown Estate. The profit from the Crown Estate, paid to parliament and put into the central taxation fund, has always exceeded the cost of the civil list. For example, in 2000, the cost of the civil list (paid to the queen, queen mother and duke of Edinburgh) was 7.9 million. The profit frmo the Crown Estate (paid directly to the taxation fund) was 132.9 million.

For the other members of the family, their income is funded directly from the queen through the Privy Purse from money she receives (essentially acting as a landlord) from the Duchy of Lancaster. This income isn't going to disappear whether the monarchy is kept or not. This is taxable.

The prince of Wales funds himself from money received from the Duchy of Cornwall, again through rent. This is taxable.

Places like Buckingham Palace, Clarance House, St James' Palace, Windsor Castle and so on (they're grouped together as the "Occupied Royal Palaces") are state funded for upkeep and partly through admissions on some of them and would obviously be funded in the same way if they were empty. The Unoccupied Royal Palaces, such as Hampton Court and the Tower are funded in the same way. Balmoral and Sandringham are technically privately held and upkeep is paid out of the queen's pocket for these.

Travel expenses are nutty and are funded under a grants-in-aid scheme. There are about 2500 public engagements a year as far as I know. Obviously the costs would still have to be met (assuming the engagements still took place) whether the monarchy existed or not.


There are many reasons for getting rid of an outdated institution like the British monarchy. The fact that I am an Irish citizen with the right to hold the highest office in the land should I so choose and be successful while a British subject cannot is one. The fact that laws are made and approved by a completely unelected institution in Britain is another. Cost, however, isn't. Anthony Sampson (in Who Runs This Place?, published a few weeks ago) recently referred to research that indicated that the German presidency is more expensive to maintain than the British monarchy, even before allowing for the tangiable income from the British monarchy. There are so many things to reject a monarchy on - and this particular monarchy on - don't limit yourself by basing criticism on cost.

Denis Healy once said that there were two words that should steer the British well clear of ever electing a president: "Margaret Thatcher". I still think it's worth the risk.

neXus9

don't limit yourself by basing criticism on cost

I didn't just criticise the cost but also about how they oppressed the english public for so many centuries, and how they still look down on them as 'commoners'.

AFAIK, the queen mother would never shake her bare hand with the public, she always had to use a glove.

Your post was interesting none the less.

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by neXus9
I didn't just criticise the cost but also about how they oppressed the english public for so many centuries, and how they still look down on them as 'commoners'.

AFAIK, the queen mother would never shake her bare hand with the public, she always had to use a glove.

Your post was interesting none the less.

you have obviously never been to the mainland!

---

Originally posted by neXus9

It's the fact that you all don't have a problem with it

---

I'm Irish.

neXus9

oh, ok. The english then.

neXus9

Originally posted by WhiteWashMan
i think its about time the irish gave ireland back to the english, and tell them we are sorry for making a mess of their country.
sure, we're only west brits anyway.

How is Ireland a mess??

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

neXus9

Originally posted by Mercury_Tilt
Its not a mess as such. Compared to the main land though....

um, how???

pork99

Originally posted by neXus9

What I hate about some of the us Irish is the belief that the IRA are still a respectful terrorist group. Their just a bunch of drug trafficing child killers now, and have lost their integrity full stop. Although most of these believers are scangers that don't know sh*t.

You hit the oul' nail on the head there (though I don't know what a "a respectful terrorist group" is)

But to get back on topic, we know how to celebrate St Patricks day - everyone gets drunk and starts fights in Grafton St! :rolleyes:

How do you celebrate St. Georges day? I think that not even the English know how. Paddy's day on the the other hand can be celebrated simply by sticking some shamrock (grown in New Zealand no doubt) about your person and going to the pub. We even let the English join in! But St Georges day? Morris dancing? :dunno:

p.pete

Georges day is just a bit of an awkward point over here... as mentioned above they're not too sure what to do with the day. By rights it should be a public holiday but I think they are wary of it becoming BNP day!

On another point - has the history of Paddys day always been so graciously been accepted around the world? I'd imagine in the days of "No Irish" signs on premises abroad in years gone by there must have been some stones thrown at the parade? I've no idea of the history but it's just something that I was thinking about...

BlitzKrieg

....in fact most of mates here in cambridge have no idea when st.georges day is. (during paddy's they argued for a hour over if it was in april or may).

on the english opinion of ireland...i dont seem to have many problems...no one complains B*tches or make comments about owning me...(maybe they know it would = painfull death) The only comments about ireland they say that annoy me are:

Ireland is obbsessed with potatoes cue 100 potatoe jokes.

And that the NI problem is only Irelands problem (i ranted about this in humanities ages ago no need for it again)


apart from that no probs.

nlgbbbblth

Originally posted by James Melody
I have never met an Irish person in England with these outspoken views. (I am not saying they aren;t over there - I just have never encountered it)

Why are people happy to come out with this vitriol here in Ireland yet happy to go work in England with english people and keep their mouths shut?

because they are hypocrites

same type that support English teams but hate the English national team

losers

neXus9

Originally posted by nlgbbbblth
because they are hypocrites

same type that support English teams but hate the English national team

losers

Most Irish people don't hate the english anymore. Most people that go on about the IRA and show english hatred are scangers anyway. Most of us are not hypocrites.

There's not much choice on where to live after you get you're third level qualifications. Getting a green card for the US/Canada is no walk in the park and there's too much competition in Ireland since it's such a small spread out country.

same type that support English teams but hate the English national team

I think that's because the english always think that they ARE going to win everytime round when it comes to the World cup. It's just the smugness that they think that they are the best team in the world when it comes to football, when they're clearly not that annoys us/amuses us.

The Brigadier

Don't be a prat. England do have a strong football side. We also have a strong Rugby side.

There is nothing wrong from thinking that you have a chance of winning. England when they enter competitions have a chance of winning. There is nothing smug about it. Just because Ireland aren't going to win anything, don't get upset because England can.

The same attitude is present in Italy, Germany, Spain. Why don't you hate them as well.

Hippocrate.

Why is this English "smugness" not present in regards to Cricket?

neXus9

Originally posted by James Melody
Don't be a prat. England do have a strong football side. We also have a strong Rugby side.

There is nothing wrong from thinking that you have a chance of winning. England when they enter competitions have a chance of winning. There is nothing smug about it. Just because Ireland aren't going to win anything, don't get upset because England can.

The same attitude is present in Italy, Germany, Spain. Why don't you hate them as well.

Hippocrate.

Why is this English "smugness" not present in regards to Cricket?

Wow they won once a few decades ago, and have been going on and on and on and on and on about it. 1966, it was like it was only yesterday!!!!! woot!!!:rolleyes:

I'm not being a prat, i'm just telling it like it is.

When it comes to sport, the english are world renowned to going beserk when meeting with failure (remember that Ireland vs England match when we won? Thank god it wasn't the same when we recently bet you's in rugby).

GuanYin

nexus, your hostility isn't in the spirit of St. George or any other saint for that matter. This thread was about joy and well wishes. Why must you bring it down so?

neXus9

I'm just responding to uneducated comments, that's all.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

The Brigadier

Originally posted by neXus9
Wow they won once a few decades ago, and have been going on and on and on and on and on about it. 1966, it was like it was only yesterday!!!!! woot!!!:rolleyes:

Ireland beat England in 1988 - 16 Years ago, and still harp on about it. Pot meet kettle.

I'm not being a prat, i'm just telling it like it is.

You are not telling it like it is, you are flexing those chips on your shoulders.

When it comes to sport, the english are world renowned to going beserk when meeting with failure

And Irish people are world renowned for acts of terrorism. We can both make equally valid generalisations.

(remember that Ireland vs England match when we won? Thank god it wasn't the same when we recently bet you's in rugby).

That was in 1988 which I don't recall any violence at? The last game I was at in Ireland was Ireland Vs Northern Ireland (about 1992 I think) which I saw several fights instigated by Irish Fans.

Oh "bet you's" ...sorry I couldn't understand what you said for a second. You'll be going on about that for the next 40 years. Did you see the play regarding the All Blacks playing Munster?

mike65

This thread is nearly an amsuing diversion but mainly its a pain. Monty please close it!

Mike.

Ozzy

Ireland has been a Republic for 55 years now - this very day April 27 ironically - which I think you'll agree is still relatively recent, and long overdue in my opinion.

Give us back the rest of our land and in a few more hundred years we might forgive you assholes.

The Brigadier

And here we have another example of friendly temperate Ireland.

You seem to have this notion that "your country is occupied by a hostile force"

You's still be stuck in your pathetic little rut in a million years, when the rest of civilised society has moved on.

Ozzy

Whoops! I didn't realise only fantastically imaginative jokes about Ireland being part of Britain were allowed.

Perhaps you should remove that proverbial chip (which you've spotted on so many others) from your shoulder.

The Brigadier

Well if you took the time to read things you would see that those jokes were made by Irish people. (Without chips but with the good nature to laugh at themselves)

I happen to be English and am perfectly within my rights to belittle small minded people like yourself.

pork99

I tend to agree James Melody, I'm 100% Irish but I find things like this pathological

I'd imagine in the days of "No Irish" signs on premises abroad in years gone by there must have been some stones thrown at the parade? I've no idea of the history but it's just something that I was thinking about...

A whole bag of chips on each shoulder there.

"I don't know any facts but I imagine people were nasty to us in the bad old days when we tried to have a parade because we are the most persecuted people in history." Or in other words I crave opression and second class citizenship.

It reminds me of a bit in "Well Remembered Days" by Arthur Mathews;

Although the English people he worked with seemed nice enough, he was sure that when he left their company they immediately started making fun of him and began to imitate his accent. This, of course, happens to every Irish person who works in England. In recent years it has become rather uncomfortable to witness the spectacle of our current Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, sharing a platform with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, after one of their many meetings to keep the ill-thought-out, deeply unpopular and discredited Northern 'Peace Process' on the rails. One can tell from the television pictures that Mr Blair obviously feels superior, and looks down on our Taoiseach as some kind of brainless leprechaun. It is not hard to imagine, immediately after Mr Ahern has left 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister laughing at him and mimicking his accent to the amusement of his colleagues in the New Labour party. This type of behaviour shows a marked lack of respect for our Taoiseach, and prompted a letter of protest from me to the British embassy.

At least Arthur Mathews is being funny on purpose.

Ozzy

"Well if you took the time to read things you would see that those jokes were made by Irish people. (Without chips but with the good nature to laugh at themselves)"

Did I suggest otherwise? Did I say I disapprove of them? No, had you not so foolishly jumped to conclusions, I think you'll find I did not. On the contrary I found some of them quite amusing. Maybe you would do well to follow their good nature.

I happen to be English and am perfectly within my rights to belittle small minded people like yourself

Of course you are, this is a monarchy! I suppose you are within your rights to jump to conclusions, become overly-defensive and make false assumptions also.. judging from your insipid posts. Go you!!

neXus9

:

Ireland beat England in 1988 - 16 Years ago, and still harp on about it. Pot meet kettle.

No, we don't!

And Irish people are world renowned for acts of terrorism. We can both make equally valid generalisations.

All i'm doing is giving you reasons why a lot of Irish don't support your team!!:rolleyes:

You are not telling it like it is, you are flexing those chips on your shoulders.

:rolleyes:

The last game I was at in Ireland was Ireland Vs Northern Ireland (about 1992 I think) which I saw several fights instigated by Irish Fans.

...and many fights instigated by the english aswell of course.

That was in 1988 which I don't recall any violence at?

No, but the friendly match in 1995 ended after 27 minutes when England fans began to riot.

Originally posted by Ozzy
I suppose you are within your rights to jump to conclusions, become overly-defensive and make false assumptions also.. judging from your insipid posts. Go you!!

Too true. All I was doing was giving english people the real reasons why a lot of the Irish don't support your team (arrogance and bitterness). Of course The brigadier had to jump down my throat, ridiculously and childishly implying that I was anti-english and even being quite petty in highlighting a grammar mistake. Tut-tut:rolleyes:

Davey Devil

Some English are just as bad. They are always ripping into the Germans and the French. I'd don't hate the English but people with their "we used to rule 3 quarters of the World you know" sort of crap.

I think it shows great disrespect to be so proud of a time period where they ploughed into countries and took them over in the name of greed. Now I know not all English people are proud of this period infact I'm sure it's a minority of people but it is those people I can't tolerate.

I suppose it's the more elitist old school English that I have a problem with - although that too is some what of a generalisation but I'm sure you can imagine the types that I'm thinking of.

Another thing that still bothers my was that Oliver Cromwell was voted as one of the Greatest Brits in the last year. Now there's a fine upstanding man for the youth of England to look up to :rolleyes: