Queen to Abdicate?

[kinboshi]

I think belief in democracy is binary....you either do believe in it or you don't and if you do then there is no place for any constitutional powers for a monarch whether they are just conventions or not.

It's not really binary though, we are a parliamentary democracy..and we have a Monarchy.

Privilege, birthright and the hereditary nature of society is about as fundamental a function of being part of the human race as it gets.

Some of us inherit our parents bits and bobs, some their houses, some their businesses, some their titles and stately homes etc

It's all the same so, arguably, a belief in heredity of any kind is binary - one either believes in heredity or one doesn't. Your kids might be a bit disappointed one day if you show up with 'unlucky sausages, but principle comes first, it's all going to Amnesty'

I detest Richard Branson obviously, but I can't but admire his decision to leave none of his wealth/property to his children.

Think Sting and Paul McCartney have made the same decision.

lol, obviously. Interesting stance and maybe not as uncommon as I would instinctively think it was.

Clearly the children of the mega rich get lots of opportunities normal kids don't get. But for Branson and Macca that is enough. Once they reach 18, the help stops, they need to carve their own niche.

If there's a more odious subset of people than spoilt adult offspring of rch parents I don't want to meet them.

Didn't know Branson was doing that, but massive respect if so. Given that he was a self starter, makes sense he would want his kids to do the same.

It's funny because we shouldn't judge anyone just because of the circumstances they were born into (including the Queen) but I totally agree, very rarely I respect the children of the very rich. I heard an amazing quote from a rich dude which was something along the lines of the price of working hard is having awful children, I must try and find it out.

Ozzie Osbournes kids.

My extended family has had a few inheritence based feuds, and it was one of the first times (as a teen) that I saw people close to me acting selfish and greedy and mean. Not a fan of these folks who think they 'deserve' anything a parent built, just because.

That said I did inherit this really good dog shaped biscuit tin from my Nan, and no fucker is taking that from me.

Didn't Richard Branson need loads of money from his aunt early on when he'd messed up?

[kinboshi]

As for the monarchy, meh, I'm ideologically against them, but they're largely harmless (except when Charles interferes with his homeopathy bullshit, stick to being a tourist attraction).

The unelected House of Lords though is a ridiculous idea in a "democracy".

[DaveShoelace]

As for the monarchy, meh, I'm ideologically against them, but they're largely harmless (except when Charles interferes with his homeopathy bullshit, stick to being a tourist attraction).

The unelected House of Lords though is a ridiculous idea in a "democracy".

All this. House of Lords is so much worse than royalty, anyone who is strongly anti monarchy really should be more focussed on getting rid of the House of Lords first.

[The Camel]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

[kinboshi]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30659629

[RED-DOG]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30659629

https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/a-new-expose-on-mother-teresa-shows-that-she-and-the-vatican-were-even-worse-than-we-thought/

[DaveShoelace]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30659629

https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/a-new-expose-on-mother-teresa-shows-that-she-and-the-vatican-were-even-worse-than-we-thought/

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/queen-still-very-sexual-2014092491000

[kinboshi]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30659629

https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/a-new-expose-on-mother-teresa-shows-that-she-and-the-vatican-were-even-worse-than-we-thought/

She was no Mother Teresa.

[The Camel]

This is harrowing reading

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/08/prince-andrew-201108?utm_content=buffere808a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

How anyone can support such a ghastly family is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30659629

Yes, I found this link when reading about the Andrew case.

Sordid, manipulative, corrupt and thoroughly ghastly.

Bin the whole lot of them.

[Woodsey]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker 

[kinboshi]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker 

If being sordid and ghastly, yes he looks pretty guilty to me. You disagree?

[Woodsey]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker  

If being sordid and ghastly, yes he looks pretty guilty to me. You disagree?

Yes I do until he's found guilty of anything.

[david3103]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker  

If being sordid and ghastly, yes he looks pretty guilty to me. You disagree?

Yes I do until he's found guilty of anything.

Tricky one this. The article from Vanity Fair is full of 'sound and fury' and we all know what that signifies. But the association with Epstein makes it hard to see him as an innocent.

The whole 'Privileged male takes advantage of young female' thang is as much of a shock as 'Russian athlete uses drugs' as a headline. The Duke should just go and spend his days marching up and down hills now, that would keep him out of mischief.

[RED-DOG]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker  

If being sordid and ghastly, yes he looks pretty guilty to me. You disagree?

Yes I do until he's found guilty of anything.

Tricky one this. The article from Vanity Fair is full of 'sound and fury' and we all know what that signifies. But the association with Epstein makes it hard to see him as an innocent.

The whole 'Privileged male takes advantage of young female' thang is as much of a shock as 'Russian athlete uses drugs' as a headline. The Duke should just go and spend his days marching up and down hills now, that would keep him out of mischief.

But wouldn't that entail having 10000 men?

[Graham C]

Tried and found guilty by blondepoker 

If being sordid and ghastly, yes he looks pretty guilty to me. You disagree?

Yes I do until he's found guilty of anything.

Tricky one this. The article from Vanity Fair is full of 'sound and fury' and we all know what that signifies. But the association with Epstein makes it hard to see him as an innocent.

The whole 'Privileged male takes advantage of young female' thang is as much of a shock as 'Russian athlete uses drugs' as a headline. The Duke should just go and spend his days marching up and down hills now, that would keep him out of mischief.

But wouldn't that entail having 10000 men?

very good