Queen Elizabeth II has died • Hacker News Board

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#451

Post by tialaramex » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 6:59 PM UTC

sofixa wrote: post #418

UncleOxidant wrote: post #384

Not to mention that she was the last monarch to have any memory of WWII and served as an ambulance mechanic. Now that generation that remembered the horrors of fascism has mostly passed and we find ourselves in a period that seems to have many echos of the 1930s with a new rise of authoritarianism and fascism around the world.

> Not to mention that she was the last monarch to have any memory of WWII That's probably not true. There's the Dalai Lama and Simeon II of Bulgaria, who were minors but at least Simeon surely remembers (his father died in suspicious circumstances, he had an unconstitutional regency, and then he was dethroned, expelled and spent his life in exile). > Now that generation that remembered the horrors of fascism has most…

Is the Dalai Lama a monarch? I see a resemblance in how monarchy works to how the Dalai Lama is chosen, but it's not obvious to me this is the same kind of thing.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#452

Post by kurupt213 » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 6:59 PM UTC

oblib wrote: post #405

I've never really understood how we can still have monarchies but I do believe Elizabeth was probably one the better ones that have sat on those thrones. A few years ago I looked into how much power she had and I was shocked. I was also shocked by how much that monarchy owns.

You were shocked that most of the UK’s Democratic institutions exist at her pleasure?

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#453

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 6:59 PM UTC

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #198

I was born in the UK, in 1963. Because of my step-father's love of first-wave UK punk, the first thing I did on hearing this news was to play the Sex Pistol's "God Save the Queen". It is remarkable how much the Queen's standing has improved during the time since that song (1977). My (UK) family are (as far as I know) staunch republicans, but the last couple of decades have seen all of us soften our disgust with the m…

[deleted]

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#454

Post by linuxftw » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

kypro wrote: post #333

As a Brit I'm not a huge fan of the royal family on principle, but Queen Elizabeth has been such an excellent head of state for us you really can't fault her. People like to make out her life was easy and that it's not fair that she inherited such a privileged position, but I think the exact opposite. Her life seemed like living hell to me. Every day for the last 70 years she's had to serve this largely ungrateful co…

No post body was provided.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#455

Post by deadbeefq » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

That's a shame. I'm no monarchist but appreciated her service. RIP.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#456

Post by triceratops » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

jmyeet wrote: post #153

Some view the monarchy as anachronistic. Of course there's merit to that argument but the monarchy as an institution really doesn't cost that much and has worked in the British political system as really a check on abuse of government power. The Queen's consent in forming government is routine but it can be withheld. Australia had an example of this where the Governor General (the Queen's representative in the Austra…

> An abdication caused that to happen. The happiest and freest time of her life may well have been living on Malta prior to that, living a fairly normal life with her husband and young family.

My only source is the show The Crown but I'm fairly certain her uncle abdicated the throne when she was still a child, putting her in line for the throne. It was not after she was married to Phillip.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#457

Post by dang » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

drieddust wrote: post #428

UncleOxidant wrote: post #384

Not to mention that she was the last monarch to have any memory of WWII and served as an ambulance mechanic. Now that generation that remembered the horrors of fascism has mostly passed and we find ourselves in a period that seems to have many echos of the 1930s with a new rise of authoritarianism and fascism around the world.

Quoted post unavailable.

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I don't lightly ban an 11-year-old account, but we've warned you many times, and you've done little but post flamewar comments lately, including nationalistic and religious flamewar.

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#458

Post by nemo44x » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:01 PM UTC

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #198

I was born in the UK, in 1963. Because of my step-father's love of first-wave UK punk, the first thing I did on hearing this news was to play the Sex Pistol's "God Save the Queen". It is remarkable how much the Queen's standing has improved during the time since that song (1977). My (UK) family are (as far as I know) staunch republicans, but the last couple of decades have seen all of us soften our disgust with the m…

It's called "getting old". :)

I think even John Lydon has respect for the Queen nowadays. [1]

[1] https://www.loudersound.com/news/john-lydon-on-sex-pistols-g...

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#459

Post by w10-1 » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:02 PM UTC

I, too, am sad. I am deeply attracted to the model of the servant leader and the hero.

I'm particularly attached to leaders who make the best of a bad situation, in her case the retreat of the British Empire. I think courage in retreat is much more rare than courage in victory, and might bring more value to society.

My (our) relationship to Queen Elizabeth seems to stem less from the history or even events, and more from her extensive media depictions, mainly movies and series of late. Many of them focus on her as long-suffering: beset by crises she cannot really control, both emotional and political. Her stalwart response turns out to be the best available - at once non-intrusive, but pointing the way out. When she speaks, it is not to tell people what to do, or what is right and wrong, but to summon our better nature.

I understand this attachment may be seen as emotionally immature and even regressive. In her case, it seems benign. However, something like these sentiments underlies people's attachments to other leaders who seem disruptive to societies and companies.

Modeling heroes is in many ways deeper than even learning a trade, and yet we seem to leave it to chance. Can do better? Can we mourn Queen Elizabeth II without falling prey to false gods?

Re: Queen Elizabeth II has died

#460

Post by rurban » Thu, Sep 08, 2022, 7:02 PM UTC

Interestingly the details of the planned operation London Bridge https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-b... were posted today on some British news site before her death, when all others confirmed her stable health. Some insiders obviously were in the know earlier today.