Australia gives Knighthood to Prince Philip - er, ... A Prince Philip appreciation thread

[Sava]

careful Sava, the Newscorp shadow state data mines

and?

[Hauldren Collider]

I also know, because there are only one or two degrees of separation between us as Australians, that Rupert would secretly loathe all those drones that work for him on Foxnews. Useful idiots as Lenin put it so well.

How's he feel about WSJ?

WSJ is actually a very nice newspaper I think. They keep their conservatism in check in their articles and only really let it loose in the editorial section.

[Alexander's Horse]

I just worked it out - there is one degree of separation between old Horsie and Rupert Murdoch - we have a mutual friend.

[Sava]

via Rupert Murdoch, I suspect we are either 3 or 4 degrees separated

I mean

aside from poly

[Alexander's Horse]

Prince Philip's affiliations in Australia

Prince Philip's formal involvement with Australia, according to the British Monarchy database:

Honorary Life Member
Air Force Association of Australia (The Royal Australian Air Force Association)

Patron In Chief
Alfred Group of Hospitals (Alfred Health)

Life Member
Athenaeum Club, Melbourne

Royal Fellow
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

Patron
Australian Carriage Driving Society

Honorary Life Member
Australian Institute of International Affairs

Field Marshal
Australian Military Forces

Patron
Australian Outward Bound Trust

Patron
Australian Rugby Football League, Board of Control

Life Member
Australian Underwater Federation

Patron
BirdLife Australia (was Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (Birds Australia)

Honorary Life Member
Canberra Polo Club

Honorary Freeman
City of Melbourne

Honorary Member
HMA Cruisers Association

Patron In Chief
HMAS Canberra/Shropshire Association

Life Member
HMAS Hobart Old Comrades' Association

Patron
Ian Clunies Ross Memorial Foundation

Honorary Member
International Assembly of National Organisations of Sport

Life Member
Naval Association of Australia

Patron
Norfolk Island Flora and Fauna Society

Honorary Member
Returned Services League of Australia, New South Wales Branch

Marshal
Royal Australian Air Force

Colonel In Chief
Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Admiral Of The Fleet
Royal Australian Navy

Honorary Life Member
Royal North Australian Show Society

Patron
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

Admiral
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria

Commodore In Chief
Sandringham Yacht Club, Australia

Chief Patron
Surf Life Saving Australia

Honorary Member
Sydney Legacy

Honorary Member
Sydney University Tiddlywinks Society

Royal Fellow
The Australian Academy of Science

Colonel In Chief
The Australian Army Cadet Corps

Honorary Member
The Australian Club

Honorary Fellow
The Australian Institute of Building

Honorary Fellow
The Institution of Engineers, Australia

Honorary Life Member
The Institution of Radio and Electronics Engineers, Australia

Honorary Life Member
The Melbourne Cricket Club

Life Member
The Naval and Military Club, Melbourne

Life Member
The Returned and Services League of Australia

Honorary Fellow
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Honorary Member
United Commercial Travellers Association of Australia Limited

Life Member
United Service Club of Brisbane

Honorary Member
University Club, Sydney

* The names and forms of many of these organisations have changed over the years. Some appear to be defunct.

The Sydney University Tiddlywinks club is not defunct, we've just gone underground

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

we consider the vote of the worst and most stupid amongst us equal to that of the best and the brightest,

Well, the great thing about monarchy and "the best and brightest" is that being "the best and brightest" has absolutely no bearing on whether one becomes the monarch, and absolutely no bearing on who gets to choose them. Nobody gets any input at all. And that's why we are ruled by a woman with no qualifications at all. So there's no point in dragging any notions of intellectual capability in this.

and we allow corruption and undue influence to reign at every step of the supposedly democratic process. Simply demanding every system is democratic is childish in the extreme, democracy does not equal fairness or opportunity, those have to be fought for issue by issue with the best solution being found for each problem individually.

Accountability is crucial. Crap presidents can be voted out. Crap kings are rather harder to remove.

Answer me this, if a non-democratic system could offer you a more equal, fair and just society, would you still insist on a democratic one?

Yes. Because with democracy come accountability and a mandate to lead. However your challenge reads like "If you could have a unicorn would you still demand a regular horse?".

[Hauldren Collider]

There are some places where monarchs seem to do a better job than a democracy likely would. Example: Jordan. But it's pretty hard to argue that case for Britain.

[Alexander's Horse]

The monarchy is like a airship, looks pretty in the air, but costs a fortune and is useless to boot.

[Jon Miller]

It's sort of nice to have someone in one of the old kingdoms playing the king/queen role.

I don't see why it should be the eldest child or son or what have you though, surely any nobility would do (so the tourists/tabloids/etc can talk about their grandmothers and what not).

Maybe they could be elected (or appointed by the PM) for 5 year terms.

JM

[Sava]

There are some places where monarchs seem to do a better job than a democracy likely would. Example: Jordan. But it's pretty hard to argue that case for Britain.

I hope you are never actually in charge of anything.

ever

[C0ckney]

There are some places where monarchs seem to do a better job than a democracy likely would. Example: Jordan. But it's pretty hard to argue that case for Britain.

it's funny to hear you wetting your pants about nazis in the greek thread when you're such perfect fodder for the far-right.

[C0ckney]

while i would support the monarchy's removal (along with the expropriation of the entire aristocracy), it is about the least serious constitutional problem with the UK.

[Hauldren Collider]

I hope you are never actually in charge of anything.

ever

I'll make a deal with you: show me an Arab state with a functioning democratic government and I'll show you a unicorn.

I think democracy is great and would love it if more countries were democratic--when combined with limited government. However in some countries you have to admit democracy has ended in dismal failure. Examples include Gaza, Egypt, Iran, and the District of Columbia.

[kentonio]

Well, the great thing about monarchy and "the best and brightest" is that being "the best and brightest" has absolutely no bearing on whether one becomes the monarch, and absolutely no bearing on who gets to choose them. Nobody gets any input at all. And that's why we are ruled by a woman with no qualifications at all. So there's no point in dragging any notions of intellectual capability in this.

You're trying to pull two seperate issues together. we don't live in a state controlled by the monarchy, we're a democracy. A democracy where the vote of an 18 year old whose only interest is the X-Factor and getting laid has the same weight as a vote by an elder who has spent their entire life studying complex issues of state. Throughout history elder figures were given greater weight in community decision making because, shock, they tend to know a lot more about things that are actually important than some dumbass kid does. We're somehow managed to not just throw that idea away but actively promote a form of democracy where looking good on TV is more effective a vote winner than actually knowing what the hell you're doing. You might remember a certain Nick Clegg suddenly becoming super popular after a TV debate because he made the right hand gestures, projected confidence and used just the right set of buzz words. Yay, democracy!

Accountability is crucial. Crap presidents can be voted out. Crap kings are rather harder to remove.

Good thing I'm not arguing for a monarchy that actually runs anything then. The current monarchy have done an exceptional job at performing their actual role. Understandably considering they are trained for it their entire lives. Pretty ****ty job all things considered.

Yes. Because with democracy come accountability and a mandate to lead. However your challenge reads like "If you could have a unicorn would you still demand a regular horse?".

Not at all, you're insinuating that only a democracy can provide a fair and just society, which is palpably wrong. It's also interesting that you seem to think that only a democracy can provide accountability.

[kentonio]

Well, the great thing about monarchy and "the best and brightest" is that being "the best and brightest" has absolutely no bearing on whether one becomes the monarch, and absolutely no bearing on who gets to choose them. Nobody gets any input at all. And that's why we are ruled by a woman with no qualifications at all. So there's no point in dragging any notions of intellectual capability in this.

You're trying to pull two seperate issues together. we don't live in a state controlled by the monarchy, we're a democracy. A democracy where the vote of an 18 year old whose only interest is the X-Factor and getting laid has the same weight as a vote by an elder who has spent their entire life studying complex issues of state. Throughout history elder figures were given greater weight in community decision making because, shock, they tend to know a lot more about things that are actually important than some dumbass kid does. We're somehow managed to not just throw that idea away but actively promote a form of democracy where looking good on TV is more effective a vote winner than actually knowing what the hell you're doing. You might remember a certain Nick Clegg suddenly becoming super popular after a TV debate because he made the right hand gestures, projected confidence and used just the right set of buzz words. Yay, democracy!

Accountability is crucial. Crap presidents can be voted out. Crap kings are rather harder to remove.

Good thing I'm not arguing for a monarchy that actually runs anything then. The current monarchy have done an exceptional job at performing their actual role. Understandably considering they are trained for it their entire lives. Pretty ****ty job all things considered.

Yes. Because with democracy come accountability and a mandate to lead. However your challenge reads like "If you could have a unicorn would you still demand a regular horse?".

Not at all, you're insinuating that only a democracy can provide a fair and just society, which is palpably wrong. It's also interesting that you seem to think that only a democracy can provide accountability.