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Because it's a good excuse to bring the commonwealth together and celebrate being part of something.
Ps since when have the British needed too much of an excuse to party?!?
Why do you celebrate thanksgiving? When really it just means your founding fathers were too thick to bring food with them... Though one of them brought 140+ pairs of shoes...
Well, they were British so we gave 'em a pass:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Originally Posted by DrakkarTyrannis
My comment was just a silly joke and not meant to demean the Queen. I would have loved to have been there to watch the flotilla.
I'm Irish and have no love for the royals, but what the fuck? I don't get why it's such a big deal for the British to actually celebrate something! I mean so what? I live in England and have no problem with the English having some fucking pride for once. IMO, there wouldn't be this much flak over any other nationality celebratiing their heritage; I guess the british are a safe racial target, right? I'd like to see you giving shit to someone celebrating Deepvali. My guess is the cat would most definitely have your tongue!
Check your facts. The kilt isn't Irish. Clan tartans were an invention of an English quaker merchant. Bagpipes predate both classical Irish and Scottish pipes. However, most cool stuff about Scotland does come from Ireland
why are you proud of being Scottish? Worst diet in Europe? Highest heart disease? Highest alcoholism? Or is the the kilt? (irish) tartan? (Irish) whiskey? (Irish) bagpipes? (Irish) haggis? (English actually) Or is it just the fact that we kicked your arse in a few wars back in the day? So what, get over it.
About the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving:
They taught us in grade school that they left England because of "religious persecution". Actually, they were of the opinion that England was too sinful, so they moved to Holland. Then, they freaked out because their kids were all speaking Dutch instead of English, so the majority of them went into debt to move to the New World, indenturing themselves to the wealthy Puritans to pay for their passage.
Holier than Thou, Speak English or Die, Workin' for The Man. Only been about 400 years, nothing has changed.
My great-grandparents were English illegal aliens. Suck it, Blue Bloods!
Happy Jubilee, my great-grand-brothers!
Rock hardness called that one 
Ah you're Scottish you would say that
Other countries may not have royalty but they ALL have privileged classes so why worry?
That doesn't make it right though.
I just think that such an elaborate and expensive celebration is wrong when the country is struggling for money and services and benefits for lots of people are being cut.
I see it a lot at my work (in volunteering); funding cuts everywhere and lots of needy people being left by the wayside.
Do you not see it's not really FOR the Queen at all... Do you really think an 86 year old lady wanted to spend an 90 minutes in the cold and damp watching a lot of boats? It put prince Philip in hospital... And do you think she really cares for a concert in her front yard? I'm pretty sure she'd have rather spent time with her family and dogs. It is another example of her doing her duty, being a positive figurehead and focal point for the country/commonwealth to rally around when things are tough. I think that the actual expense would probably be minimal considering the general increase in moral I've seen over the last few days :thu: London in particular needed something coz we're all worried about the Olympics screwing up our commutes!! And as I mentioned it's nice to have a reason to celebrate anything at the moment and why shouldn't we be proud to be British? PS Satannica, thank you for making a very clear and concise point.
That doesn't make it right though. I just think that such an elaborate and expensive celebration is wrong when the country is struggling for money and services and benefits for lots of people are being cut. I see it a lot at my work (in volunteering); funding cuts everywhere and lots of needy people being left by the wayside.
FWIW, I actually don't mind the people in the royal family - I think they are good people who try and do their best and they do care about helping others.
It's both the concept and the implementation of the institution I disagree with.
The jubilee might have been for the people, but tomorrow there will still be huge social and economic problems in the country that could have been a bit better if they'd had the same time and money spent on them.
As for national pride, it is kind of weird actually. Scotland does have lots of past achievements, but it's really stuff from the Empire days and no-one involved is alive today.
I prefer to look at what we're doing now and what we can do in the future.
The thing I'm most proud of in Scotland is the commitment to making it an inclusive society - little things like free education and healthcare. Free higher education for the rest of the UK is now just a memory, but it's still alive here.
I'll be proud of Scotland if its people vote for independence and we then follow the Scandinavian social and economic models.
As for being proud of the queen. I was anti royal for a long long time.
But the royal family has changed, it's now run as a busines that has to account for any spending it does and show it can make the money it receives from the government back. And it does, a lot of money.
Here in Japan the jubilee was shown live. With over a weeks worth of program's about the UK and its people. Now half my clients want to visit England and 3 of then have already booked tickets or gone. That's in one small town.
Remember Japan does not report on places much outside of Japan, so this is kind of a big deal.
It also changed a whole days worth of programs to show the royal wedding last year.
Japan is a wealthier country, so these people going to the uk are buying souvenirs and staying in hotels (basically spending cash in the UK) this in turn all helps the economy.
It also brings business connections, as people want to buy into that history and sense of pride. If it's also cool to like Britain now, a lot of people here (mostly good looking girls :love
are wearing union flag t-shirts and loving the whole uk thing, its fashionable again (for the first time in a long time)
If you do the maths the royals are not a bad thing.
And you get another public holiday in the uk.
are wearing union flag t-shirts and loving the whole uk thing, its fashionable again (for the first time in a long time)
If you do the maths the royals are not a bad thing.
And you get another public holiday in the uk.
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