UK is a monarchy.

[Ben Kenobi]

the best part is ben always talking about how he's "a texan"

Where did I say that? I love Texas, but I'm just another transplant here.

he's a monarchist, I'm pretty sure that disqualifies him from being any variety of American period.

I have loyalist ancestors. I also have Communist Irish ancestors but that's another story.

[Sava]

I'm still not reading your posts. And nobody likes you. Go away.

[Ben Kenobi]

Sava, Fox News would be interested in doing an interview. You would be appropriately compensated for your time.

[Sava]

you might be the worst person i've ever known

[Ben Kenobi]

"of all time, of all time..." [/Kanye]

[giblets]

It's not about 'okay', given that we pretty much universally don't give a monkeys what Americans think about how we run our country. It is however more than a little funny to be lectured on family based leadership by a country that was recently discussing whether the third Bush should consider a run for the Presidency, and whether he would beat the second Clinton to the job.

I guess they're both lucky that the Kennedy dynasty are running out of prominent family members to run, although let's not write off Joseph P. Kennedy III just yet, he may only be a congressman so far and therefore only in one of the 536 most important elected roles in the United States, but he's got that smile and that name and he could yet make it all the way to the top.

So essentially you're saying we should take the needle out of our eye before we criticize you for having an entire beam in yours?

[Sava]

Brits love to criticize America. God forbid we do it to them. This is funny considering they are so much worse... about everything.

Internet issues? OMFG AMERICA IS SPYING. UK: Let's ban all porn!

War issues? OMFG AMERICA IS SO EVIL. UK: We're jealous because that used to be us.

Government? OMFG AMERICA IS UNDEMOCRATIC. UK: God save the queen!

And this pretty much goes for every other political issue... except perhaps health care policy.

For the most part, the criticisms are valid. But that's not the point. Don't dish it if you can't take it. And don't try to tell other people how to run their country when you are doing a much worse job.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

HELLO MISTER STRAWMAN

Representative democracy may not provide the best results... but better than monarchy.

dumbass

I learned that from Sid in Civ II.

[PLATO]

I think you can be all for democracy and still respect a constitutional monarchy. My personal feeling is that the British Monarchy is a stabilizing world force and that we would all be worse off without that. I can't understand why people are so absolute on this. Just because I believe it is a good thing for the world does not mean that I want a monarchy here. I do believe, however, that the British Constitutional Monarchy does compliment our representative democracy nicely.

[kentonio]

You can't effectively argue that the presidency has a dynastic tendency in the United States. Despite all the discussion, it's happened 3 times.

Sure I can. I just did. Let's just look at the period of the last 10 presidents for a moment.

In that time we've had a Kennedy president, his brother running for president, his other brother in the senate for nearly 50 years (his own presidential chance being lost due to him leaving a woman to die in a river. This obviously didn't disqualify him from the senate on account of being a Kennedy and all). We now have another Kennedy in congress.

In that time we've also had a president Bush, then another president Bush and a governor Bush (who may well run for president himself once the disasters of Bush II have faded from public memory a little more).

In that time we've also had a president Clinton, and his wife assuming the title of Secretary of State after her own presidential bid went south. She is currently the hot favourite to be the next president.

That's in the period of 10 presidents.

You can certainly argue that the US treats the presidents royally, and I'd agree that's a problem. You can also argue that other positions in the government do have dynastic tendencies, and that's a much bigger problem in my opinion. (And one I've discussed here before.) But I don't know what to do about it.

You can't do anything about it, that's the whole point. People have a natural tendency to raise up heroes and a fascination with celebrity. Unless you actually ban people from running for office because their relatives previously did (which would be totally unfair) then people are going to enjoy that advantage.

I honestly don't know what to do about that, or if there's anything to be done about it. But it's not really the same thing as a royal family. The first Kennedy got himself into a position of power by appealing to the people. The first of a royal line gets into a position of power by having a bigger stick.

Royals generally became Royals by using much the same kind of populism, deceit and backstabbing that politicians use today. The only real difference is that it used to involve a lot more bloodshed.

No. They are the epitome of entitlement. They get handed the job. They never work a day in their lives.

Spoken like someone who hasn't had to spend the last 50 years completing hundreds of public engagements a year, living under the intense spotlight of public scrutiny and who has worked through illness, family crisis, bereavement and much more without any expectation of being given privacy or 'time off' by anyone.

[MikeH]

And this pretty much goes for every other political issue... except perhaps health care policy.

For the most part, the criticisms are valid. But that's not the point. Don't dish it if you can't take it. And don't try to tell other people how to run their country when you are doing a much worse job.

I think most of us can take it, and there are a few other things we do better.

Pre-university education (quality of and availability to), access to higher education, employment rights (+maternity care/childcare), slightly more checks on big business, public transport, international diplomacy, social mobility.

Stuff like that.

And the fact that the head of government is the leader of the majority party so our government can get stuff done (even if it's the wrong stuff like this current shambles are doing)

And you guys do better in... er... I dunno, must be some stuff. Enabling the rich to get richer at any cost or something

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

So essentially you're saying we should take the needle out of our eye before we criticize you for having an entire beam in yours?

Of all the politicos mentioned that rose to the office of presidency they at least had a pluarility of support to be so elected. Unlike the horror show that awaits the UK, once the beloved queen passes and they have to coome to grips with the freak show reality of Charles as King. (The concept of inbred morons at least were rejected in the case of Palin having a likely shot at line of succession, albeit in favor of an equally if not larger idiot Biden who presumably was not thought to have a legitamate shot at replacing a young healthy POTUS.)

[kentonio]

Brits love to criticize America. God forbid we do it to them. This is funny considering they are so much worse... about everything.

We're the Númenóreans, you are Gondor. How is this so difficult to understand?

Feel free to replace with Targaryens and Lannisters if you're all young and ****.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

More like Arnoreans. Fallen empire and all that.

[kentonio]

Yeah, but that's just because we haven't let you know about the space empire we've been working on while you dumbasses waste your time ****ing around with China.