The Queens Speech. The Monarchy at Christmas.
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The Queens Speech. The Monarchy at Christmas.
The Speech.Was okay in parts, but to me it struck the wrong chord towards the end, and most especially the footage of her on a walkabout with the senior member of the Provisional IRA. This footage was specially selected as part of the message presumably.
I don't feel any particular reconciliation towards him or his colleagues, regardless of the season, and I never will.
So, sat there, be-fuddled and bloated with food and drink, I made an instant decision to reject it.
Wonder if she was made to put that in?
Can you have poppies galore one month (see November), then be asked to compromise massively with your fixed opinion the next?
But the Queens also an old lady, a WW2 veteran and much more, so I make an allowance.
Watching the rest of them on the news at the Xmas day morning service, I was struck by what a massive gang of them there now is. I lost count. When the Queen goes, there's gonna have to be a re-adjustment.I look forward to seeing Andrews pair on the tills in the sales at Poundland, to be honest.
Anyway, I'm off to the traditional northern boxing day afternoons bloodsport-Merry Xmas!!
I don't feel any particular reconciliation towards him or his colleagues, regardless of the season, and I never will.
So, sat there, be-fuddled and bloated with food and drink, I made an instant decision to reject it.
Wonder if she was made to put that in?
Can you have poppies galore one month (see November), then be asked to compromise massively with your fixed opinion the next?
But the Queens also an old lady, a WW2 veteran and much more, so I make an allowance.
Watching the rest of them on the news at the Xmas day morning service, I was struck by what a massive gang of them there now is. I lost count. When the Queen goes, there's gonna have to be a re-adjustment.I look forward to seeing Andrews pair on the tills in the sales at Poundland, to be honest.
Anyway, I'm off to the traditional northern boxing day afternoons bloodsport-Merry Xmas!!
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Hangarshuffle, re: your views on reconciliation... would you really prefer the catholic and protestant communities bombing the crap out of each other and shooting up our servicemen?
Regardless of who's side you are on, that "conflict" was never going to be resolved by force by any side. Reconciliation really was the only way. I for one never thought it would ever happen and I have a great respect for those on all sides who made it happen. Ireland, both north and south is a safer, better place for it and so is mainland UK for that matter.
Its easy to condemn McGuinness and Adams for being terrorists (so was Mandela). Its also easy to forget the atrocious discrimination perpetrated against the catholic community in the 1960's which facilitated the IRA's re-emergence.
Time to move on and enjoy the peace.
Regardless of who's side you are on, that "conflict" was never going to be resolved by force by any side. Reconciliation really was the only way. I for one never thought it would ever happen and I have a great respect for those on all sides who made it happen. Ireland, both north and south is a safer, better place for it and so is mainland UK for that matter.
Its easy to condemn McGuinness and Adams for being terrorists (so was Mandela). Its also easy to forget the atrocious discrimination perpetrated against the catholic community in the 1960's which facilitated the IRA's re-emergence.
Time to move on and enjoy the peace.
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Hangarshuff, I don't LIKE McGuinness or his former colleagues. But I DO want to be reconciled with them. Indeed I don't particularly like hearing him being interviewed...but would you rather they were still skulking in the shadows plotting atrocities?
HM's words were carefully chosen. Do you have an alternative to reconciliation other than unending warfare?
HM's words were carefully chosen. Do you have an alternative to reconciliation other than unending warfare?
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She writes her speech herself apparently
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Hangarshuffle
"I was struck by what a massive gang of them there now is".
They're a family for heaven's sake. She's a great grandmother so of course there are a lot of them. But very few are on the public payroll, so what readjustment do you propose?
"I was struck by what a massive gang of them there now is".
They're a family for heaven's sake. She's a great grandmother so of course there are a lot of them. But very few are on the public payroll, so what readjustment do you propose?
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Yea, just drifted back from in from the sport, had a few sherberries. I cant feel reconciled with them, I think they would kill us, bomb us again at a moments convenience. Think it was a mistake under political pressure (the speech).
But yes better that than a continuous terror campaign, if you are pragmatic and prepared to swallow it.
Funny how we can be fed whose an enemy on minute, friend next>? we will building statues to them one day.
The sovereign fund as its now called or something gets I think 10% profit on the money generated by the crown estate I think, so HM Queen and Co get about £37 million PA as pay, in effect.
Hence the massive gathering, nothing less-money and photo opportunity.
The Queens a fantastic person. Seen and heard her close up whilst I was FAA, got her vibe straight away.
A rambling not really even relevant sttory. A mate of mine volunteered whilst the CVS ship was alongside in Hamburg to be a barman at a function-think they went ashore for thjis,it was not a wardroom/hangar pink gin debacle.
So he is behind the bar serving our lads (a mix up of all ranks). He was alongside one of the top German aces of WW2. Only me mate knew who he was, because he knows his stuff.. Everyone else was just pissed, and wouldn't have recognised him. An old man, by now anyway. So what I'm saying is the German ace was serving up, at the bar, for the lads.
My mate clocked him and knew who he was. And asked him about his role, and events he took place in. The shooting downs, the chalk ups (and this man shot down bloody dozens if not hundreds of allied planes, Ive googled him since this). And I can even remember his answer, as told by my friend. He said he was terrified in the air and was never happier than when he had survived a combat and was on his way home alive. Felt no pleasure in the killing, he just wanted to get back alive. The war was over, he had moved on. He liked us.
So perhaps that's reconciliation, in a way. Old generation with our new younger generation had become reconciled. Gradually I like to think we as Britons become reconciled with our former enemies (and we have so many...).
But we are a long, long way away from this at the moment with the IRA and Irish republicans in general..
But yes better that than a continuous terror campaign, if you are pragmatic and prepared to swallow it.
Funny how we can be fed whose an enemy on minute, friend next>? we will building statues to them one day.
The sovereign fund as its now called or something gets I think 10% profit on the money generated by the crown estate I think, so HM Queen and Co get about £37 million PA as pay, in effect.
Hence the massive gathering, nothing less-money and photo opportunity.
The Queens a fantastic person. Seen and heard her close up whilst I was FAA, got her vibe straight away.
A rambling not really even relevant sttory. A mate of mine volunteered whilst the CVS ship was alongside in Hamburg to be a barman at a function-think they went ashore for thjis,it was not a wardroom/hangar pink gin debacle.
So he is behind the bar serving our lads (a mix up of all ranks). He was alongside one of the top German aces of WW2. Only me mate knew who he was, because he knows his stuff.. Everyone else was just pissed, and wouldn't have recognised him. An old man, by now anyway. So what I'm saying is the German ace was serving up, at the bar, for the lads.
My mate clocked him and knew who he was. And asked him about his role, and events he took place in. The shooting downs, the chalk ups (and this man shot down bloody dozens if not hundreds of allied planes, Ive googled him since this). And I can even remember his answer, as told by my friend. He said he was terrified in the air and was never happier than when he had survived a combat and was on his way home alive. Felt no pleasure in the killing, he just wanted to get back alive. The war was over, he had moved on. He liked us.
So perhaps that's reconciliation, in a way. Old generation with our new younger generation had become reconciled. Gradually I like to think we as Britons become reconciled with our former enemies (and we have so many...).
But we are a long, long way away from this at the moment with the IRA and Irish republicans in general..
Last edited by Hangarshuffle; 26th Dec 2014 at 19:33.
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And yet here we are, fifteen years later, that we find only 6.97% of children in NI attending nonsectarian schools?
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The Queen is given 15% of the net annual profit from the estate or £37.9m.
Given her responsibilities in relation to some bankers with 7 figure incomes that is not a lot.
Given her responsibilities in relation to some bankers with 7 figure incomes that is not a lot.
Regardless of who's side you are on, that "conflict" was never going to be resolved by force by any side.
If you look at 'peace', 'war' and 'victory/loss' as a loop that is ever changing for each conflict then you won't be far off. This loop is revolving quickly in the Middle East at present and more slowly in Europe, but how will we feel in 100-200 years time? Divisions in Europe are already opening and what is to stop a Ukraine-type scenario flaring elsehwere where there are historic divisions?
So, to say 'Regardless of who's side you are on, that "conflict" was never going to be resolved by force by any side' is quite naive in my opinion - I would rephrase it to say "conflict will only be resolved militarily with the total eradication of the other side, everything else is just a reconciliatory 'pause' (some long, some short)".
Looking at my loop model of 'peace', 'war' and 'victory/loss', then I would suggest that 'reconciliation' is the shortcut to 'peace' before the loop starts again.
And on that depressing thought, I'm off for a beer...
LJ
HS, two have flown helicopters for the armed forces one is still there and wants to go back flying the other is about hopefully to start with an AA team.
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And yet here we are, fifteen years later, that we find only 6.97% of children in NI attending nonsectarian schools?
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So, to say 'Regardless of who's side you are on, that "conflict" was never going to be resolved by force by any side' is quite naive in my opinion - I would rephrase it to say "conflict will only be resolved militarily with the total eradication of the other side, everything else is just a reconciliatory 'pause' (some long, some short)".
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And yet here we are, fifteen years later, that we find only 6.97% of children in NI attending nonsectarian schools?
In terms of McGuiness and the Queen...as someone who seen family and friends injured while serving in the RUC, any involvement of Sinn Fein in government is hard to take. But I also look at the future in NI for my little daughter...and it's much brighter than the outlook I grew up in. Also, I think personalities come into it. McGuiness seems to make a genuine effort in terms of reconciliation...while I detest where he came from, there is a grudging respect that (a) he admits what he was, and (b) he does seem to want to leave something better in place. Adams is a different matter!
On the question of whether the war was won...I think the combined efforts of the RUC, British Army and the Intelligence Services eventually wore the Provos down. I think those on both sides had become war weary; we got to a stage where everyone realised there had to be some concensus. Once the ceasefires happened, 9/11 sealed it. From then on, no American administration could allow the terror to reignite, so the Provos support in the USA dried up.
The sad thing is that it took 3,000 lives to get there, not to mention the many more injured or maimed. But any form of reconciliation now makes the process easier for the next generation.
PS. I should also say, NI was never as divided as the press would have suggested. The vast majority of us shared employment, socialising, and even family across 'the divide'. Sadly the few on both sides did the damage.
Last edited by NWSRG; 26th Dec 2014 at 22:12. Reason: Adding the PS.
That's better than it was when I first went to school in Glasgow 50 years ago. Your school/religion/football team defined you. Horrible state of affairs.