31–40 of 553 posts
Imagine being brit and having contributed 99 years of taxation so those monarchs enjoy a chill life, while there's a clear empire downfall and stalled economy... while all you can barely afford is fish 'n chips. Yet you still have to continue working to fuel this royal family bullshit.
I have always felt strongly against monarchy. Especially against the British royal family, more so as I am an Indian. They never apologized for any of the massacres (Jallianwala is just one example) or pogroms committed at their behest and in their name. I do believe they are a disgusting symbol of colonialism, racism, subjugation. It is very disturbing that a good part of the world and an entire nation validates them, bows to them officially.
But again, he was a fellow human being after all - I hope he finds peace if at all there's something after this and I hope he was at peace and content towards the end.
More out of curiosity than judgement; why is this on HN?
He's an unequivocally political figure for a variety of reasons. I don't see anything intellectually interesting in the fact that he's died.
At best we might discuss why he wasn't king despite being married to the monarch.
When the queen dies that will be another matter - there are constitutional issues around that and the death of a long-reigning monarch who spans the end of empire will have some historical weight.
Edit: ...and flagged before I finished posting. Good.
Edit2: ...and now apparently unflagged? I didn't know that was a thing on HN.
I do not care.
I really wish we could just do away with all this royal family nonsense. You guys are somehow special because what? Useless social fiction from antiquity.
Rest In Peace
Let us remember some of his grace: “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” (to British students in China, during the 1986 state visit) “I declare this thing open, whatever it is.” (on a visit to Canada in 1969) “I hope he breaks his bloody neck.” (when a photographer covering a royal visit to India fell out of a tree) “Do you still throw spears at each other?” (in Australia in 2002, talking to a su…
Also when he visited a driving school in Scotland and asked how they kept the natives away from alcohol long enough to team them
Let us remember some of his grace: “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” (to British students in China, during the 1986 state visit) “I declare this thing open, whatever it is.” (on a visit to Canada in 1969) “I hope he breaks his bloody neck.” (when a photographer covering a royal visit to India fell out of a tree) “Do you still throw spears at each other?” (in Australia in 2002, talking to a su…
I'm playing the Devil's advocate here, but these seem like instances of dark British humour being delivered in the traditional deadpan fashion - the humour being in the absurdity of someone keeping a straight face while saying something obviously inane or offensive. It doesn't translate at all across cultures.
Let us remember some of his grace: “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” (to British students in China, during the 1986 state visit) “I declare this thing open, whatever it is.” (on a visit to Canada in 1969) “I hope he breaks his bloody neck.” (when a photographer covering a royal visit to India fell out of a tree) “Do you still throw spears at each other?” (in Australia in 2002, talking to a su…
As a Finnish person, I can appreciate the straightforwardness.