271–280 of 327 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, any efforts by the powerless to redress the balance are generally labeled terrorism.
No, not really. Just those efforts that aim to terrorize.
Disclaimer: haven't read the parent article. Apologies if the video below is repeat/ mis-information. But it is interesting. Kohinoor: William Dalrymple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJgZf9c6MTQ Kohinoor: Release of the book followed by a discussion featuring William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, in conversation with Sagarika Ghose
Any chance of a brief summary of the point it's making?
Not a fan of the British crown (why are they exempt from taxes during record high inflation) but who should they return the diamond to - Afghanistan (it was the Durranis that looted it from Nader Shah after he looted it from the Mughals), India (Maharaja Ranjit Singh took it as tribute from Shah Shuja after conquering Kashmir from the Durranis), or Pakistan (the Sikh Empire capital was Lahore and the Durrani Empire c…
> (why are they exempt from taxes during record high inflation) (Because we pay taxes to the crown, doesn't really make sense for the king to pay tax to his majesty's own revenue and customs, HMRC. That said, there was something in the accension council about continuing to volunteer tax on something or another, and as the Duke of Cornwall he volunteered tax on duchy income. My understanding is that the royal family i…
(At least if you believe the figures from Visit Britain, the government organization for tourism.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Should Mali also pay reparations to Ghana over the atrocities they committed during 13th century wars of conquest?
Your comment is somewhat meaningless in the context. But yes, in general, I believe that if you commit or benefit from atrocities, you should be held accountable. Even if it was your grandfather that murdered people and you inherit the wealth he looted, you should at the very least give that wealth back once you realise that it was wrong, especially if the people you looted from are dying from lack of resources. Also…
When you say "the British should be held accountable" all those individuals are dead and gone. It's a bit Catholic to hold the children accountable for the sins of the father. Its unlikely my forefathers even had the vote at that time. So please explain how I'm accountable again?
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Those diamonds were mined in Kollur in modern day south India. It should go back to them. And yes, before you harp on it, the land we call America should go back to the Native Americans, the aboriginals of Australia and New Zealand should also get their lands back. Or whoever else has been the subject of conquest. Ultimately, slavery, caste, and colonization are institutions of brutality. Reparations are owed. Britai…
Civilizations clash. Some win, some lose. Should Gaul go back to the Romans? You would have the Earth remain completely static, and wherever your ancestors happened to evolve into humans that’s where you and your descendants live forever until the end of time? It’s ridiculous. Things change. Move on.
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Sure; as an example, the attack on the USS Cole. Clear military target, widely described as a terrorist attack, including by the FBI ( https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/uss-cole-bombing ).
>war zones Were we at war with Yemen when this happened?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> (why are they exempt from taxes during record high inflation) (Because we pay taxes to the crown, doesn't really make sense for the king to pay tax to his majesty's own revenue and customs, HMRC. That said, there was something in the accension council about continuing to volunteer tax on something or another, and as the Duke of Cornwall he volunteered tax on duchy income. My understanding is that the royal family i…
The claim of income from tourism is wrong: https://www.republic.org.uk/tourism (At least if you believe the figures from Visit Britain, the government organization for tourism.)
That said, it seems silly to argue it brings no tourism whatsoever, and indeed the page you linked doesn't - it claims £500M, which it (fairly enough) goes on to say is negligible in the scheme of UK total tourism revenue and economy.
But that's not the point is it - when people make the claim it says is wrong, or certainly for the point I was making (again which I think tourism can be ignored for anyway) it's about expense vs. revenue from the royal family, i.e. whether there's net income - because if there is then it seems a futile argument for republicans to say they 'cost too much' - not whether or not that income is large enough to put a meaningful dent in GDP.
I am so tired of people romanticizing the monarchy, especially one of the bloodiest colonizers on this planet - the British monarchy! The year is 2022! Can't we finally grow up and stop telling girls stories about princes on white horses and stop talking about monarchs like they are some kinds of saviors!? Instead of wasting billions less than 20 years from now to wipe our Charles' face and name, end this now and tur…