Queen Elizabeth celebrates 60 years atop the UK throne

[danbarj]

Lizzy provoking as much discussion in 2012 as she did in 1952.

Victoria could never.

Love Lizzy <3

[jio]

LOL @ someone from Cyprus getting so mad over our Queen!
Why you getting so upset? How does it affect you? As you said earlier - who cares? You clearly do.

I am not mad... I am just expressing my opinion... it's a free world... is that OK with you?

[danbarj]

LOL @ someone from Cyprus getting so mad over our Queen!
Why you getting so upset? How does it affect you? As you said earlier - who cares? You clearly do.

I agree! While everyone is FREE to voice opinion in this FREE world, it is ultimately up to a nation to decide its government and what it holds dear. Every nation decides what is important to it and what is "necessary" money. The UK and its tradition are esteemed by its people and, therefore, are not up for debate by people that DO NOT live in the country. That's no different than a communist thinking the US government is flawed.

So, why say "who cares" when the person commenting CLEARLY does. If they didn't, they would not comment and comment and, again, comment!

Lastly, I'll say it again, no government and system is perfect in the world. So, if we want to get rid of the UK's monarchy, then we should discuss everything that needs to be rid of in EVERY government in the world.

Until then, GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

[jio]

Did I ever say it's not up to a nation to decide what it wants? When did I say that?

And yes you usually use the expression "Who cares?" when somebody says something you consider uninteresting for the masses. If nobody at all cared, there wouldn't be any reason to say "who cares" in the first place lol

Moreover, you are not British either so if I have to shut up just because I am from Cyprus, then you need to shut up too because you are American and not British so you shouldn't have an opinion (your logic, not mine)

[danbarj]

Did I ever say it's not up to a nation to decide what it wants? When did I say that?

And yes you usually use the expression "Who cares?" when somebody says something you consider uninteresting for the masses. If nobody at all cared, there wouldn't be any reason to say "who cares" in the first place lol

Moreover, you are not British either so if I have to shut up just because I am from Cyprus, then you need to shut up too because you are American and not British so you shouldn't have an opinion (your logic, not mine)

I agree with everything you said. Here are my issues with the foundation of the comments, however:

1. Many stated WHY the world CARED... you were the one that didn't... at that point, it was discussion of why it shouldn't be cared for!

2. I am not British and am, in deed, American. The topic of the thread is "Queen Elizabeth celebrates 60 years atop the UK throne"... I celebrated that , as that's what the thread is about, without further discussion until the thread became about WHY the UK should not have a monarchy and why it's "stupid" to you and others.

3. The discussion turned into how other countries have done fine without their former monarchies, how the US fought against it and other matters. The statement's were indicative of the opinion of you and others that the UK doesn't need it, even if you don't say they should get rid of it.

Why take an issue, though, that doesn't affect either of us so personally? I am not. I perceive (though I could be wrong) that you are. It must've mattered THAT much for you to state SO MUCH INFORMATION regarding your disagreement with it.

[jio]

First of all there is nothing personal about it. I simply wrote one "who cares" at first and then there were a lot of comments against me calling me ignorant etc etc. So I went to a debate. I said where my opinion is based. I never went personal until you and another person started saying about Greece, Cyprus and other stuff which have nothing to do with the subject. I was having a debate. I am not the one who started the you are pressed, why you care and don't speak since you are not British crap. Other people took it on the personal level, not me

[Plym]

First of all there is nothing personal about it. I simply wrote one "who cares" at first and then there were a lot of comments against me calling me ignorant etc etc. So I went to a debate. I said where my opinion is based. I never went personal until you and another person started saying about Greece, Cyprus and other stuff which have nothing to do with the subject. I was having a debate. I am not the one who started the you are pressed, why you care and don't speak since you are not British crap. Other people took it on the personal level, not me

Who cares?

[joao]

This is an amazing achievement and a huge number of people care actually.

What exactly is her achievement? To have been born rich and lived 85 years?

I think living 85 years is a far bigger achievement when you´re born poor, and I know lots of people who did it, so I don´t see this as an achievement.

People care for the same reasons they care about the Prince wedding, or Diana´s death... she´s a celebrity, and that´s it. What she did is not a bigger achievement then any other citizen who lives that long, and that´s not such a rare achievement.

[Wayne]

Her birthday isn't the achievement FFS. Its her reign.

[joao]

I agree! While everyone is FREE to voice opinion in this FREE world, it is ultimately up to a nation to decide its government and what it holds dear.

It´s a shame that Britain itself has never respected this principle in most of its recent history. So as much as british people have the right to hold dear a woman who did nothing apart from having the luck of being born in a royal family as that´s a symbol of the country´s unity and tradition, other people have the right to detest this symbol for their own reasons.

Every nation decides what is important to it and what is "necessary" money. The UK and its tradition are esteemed by its people and, therefore, are not up for debate by people that DO NOT live in the country. That's no different than a communist thinking the US government is flawed.

What? The UK and the USA have a huge influence all over the world, and people from other countries don´t even have the right to debate their issues? US and UK have the right to support dictators from other countries (just like Elizabeth II supported the murderer and torturer Pinochet, from Chile), and other countries don´t even have the right to debate the stupidity of payng of payng homage to a woman whose big achievement is to have lived for decades, and who never had to move a finger to achieve everything she had? She´s not the queen for her own merits, but simply because she was in the line of sucession, all the merits she needed was simply being born.

[joao]

Her birthday isn't the achievement FFS. Its her reign.

In other words, the fact that she is living long enough. Cause the only thing she had to do to keep her reign was not dying from natural causes. She was never exposed to danger (like going to war) or poverty (dying of hunger), she lives in a very protected palace, and her kingdom is not cause of disput. The only thing she has to do to keep her throne is remaining alive. Of course, the only possible reason for her death is natural causes, and even when she has an illness, she will have the best doctors and treatments in the world.

[menime123]

Her birthday isn't the achievement FFS. Its her reign.

In other words, the fact that she is living long enough. Cause the only thing she had to do to keep her reign was not dying from natural causes. She was never exposed to danger (like going to war) or poverty (dying of hunger), she lives in a very protected palace, and her kingdom is not cause of disput. The only thing she has to do to keep her throne is remaining alive. Of course, the only possible reason for her death is natural causes, and even when she has an illness, she will have the best doctors and treatments in the world.

Ok. You're officially in the naughty corner.

She lived through a war, was trained to defend herself incase the country fell and the Germans came after her. Her home was bombed, she was wanted by Hitler and whilst it may not be the frontline, she lived and breathed that war.

As a monarch, she exposes herself to danger every time she undertakes a diplomatic trip, even as recently as her trip to Ireland. Her palace may appear protected, but it was only 20 years ago she awoke to find a man standing in her bedroom.

She had had to work every day of her life, and it's a wildly acknowledged that in reality, only 3 people know what's going on with Britain at any one time: the Prime Minister, the chancellor of the exchequer and The Queen.

She has worked to keep the monarchy alive. Ever since she became Queen, there have been those asking what the point of it all is. She has had to modernise the throne and the people's perception of it. Her and her family are patrons of thousands of charities, and as a result of their patronage do an extremely lot of good for many, many people.

It's not as if she sits at home all of the time and sticks her head out every few years to announce she is still with us - she is a public sovereign. 60 years is a huge deal as she is only the 2nd monarch this nation has had since its establishment in 1066 that has reigned for as long.

I'm starting to feel that her popularity and achievement can't be explained. But look at it this way: do you believe in fairy tales? We do in Britain:

http://youtu.be/c38lPvrPuT4

[Wayne]

Here here menime123.

[menime123]

To anyone who doesn't understand how big a deal this is - here is a video from 10 years ago:

http://youtu.be/fF_2sNjgNKQ

[danbarj]

I say screw those that don't agree! It doesn't affect them and there opinion means nothing in the grand scheme.

I'd rather an inherited position of influence with knowledge of the duty and respect for the position than "elected" officials with no concern but their own well doing (*cough cough* American politics)