I live in the UK.
Nobody here is disrespecting Elizabeth.
@anon27944729 - you are new here so I will give you the benefit of the doubt.
On SF members are free to discuss whatever they want. The only āruleā is that they do not insult other SF members.
Please stop trying to tell people what they can and canāt discuss.
@graham has been given the ātech guruā accolade as he has spent the last few YEARS helping all sorts of people on here with all sorts of tech issues. If you have a problem with that please feel free to take it up with either myself or @james (the site owners and final arbitrators in all disputes).
Thanks.
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If it was me I would call myself āKing Harry Kaneā.
Yes - itās an interesting view of democracy that values āwhat most people wantā but doesnāt allow those not in the dominant group to have any say. I seem to remember some governments adopting that ideology in the pastā¦
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Hello Cat and thanks
I am not new here, been watching for a long time. Great info on site.
I do not have a go at anyone (indeed for years) but I do feel that the site is very hard left far wing and anybody who says otherwise is knocked down. Hence why many others have no longer posted
I do not believe that any posts of mine have been more rude or conflicting with any of your left wing views , just different
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Errr would you like me to quote all the posts where you tell people they shouldnāt be posting on a particular topic?
Perhaps this is not surprising among a group of people who have settled in France which, despite the recent success of the RN, remains a very socialist country in its outlook.
If we arenāt discussing political issues no-one very much cares which way your personal political compass points. But if you express overtly right wing views you do need to be able to defend them or you will tend to get ārobustā feedback.
The biggest problem is that you keep telling us what we can and canāt discuss - largely without enjoining the discussion itself.
Mechanisms for ignoring users and threads have been pointed out, you are free to make use of them if you find the non-political parts of SF useful.
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What makes Britain special in the eyes of the world is in no small part due to an all bells and whistles monarchy. Indeed, the envy of many. No one else can do pomp and circumstance with quite the elegance, despite their never ending, and occasionally laughable, attempts. It is also an absolutely invaluable marketing gift for āTeam Britainā that contrary to the old trope, brings far more in trade and tourism than it costs the government (or the people.)
Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary woman and will be both commemorated and remembered as such. What follows is in the lap of the gods. There is now a very different kingdom with different inclinations that may or may not choose, and the Queen herself was always aware it was a choice, if the UK should retain the monarchy. But, how and who would the country be without one? Assuming that there will still be ones willing to take up the heavy burden of duty and the fishbowl existence for life that comes with the crown.
The monarchy may be the tipping point. What next if there is no longer a King of England? No Commonwealth. No United Kingdom. Forget āGreatā Britain. Not part of Europe. Any new national anthem best not contain the words āgreen and pleasant landā because those are disappearing along with the greenbelt and global warming. āLand of hope and gloryā neither, clearly not for those shipped off to Rwanda.
Can all happen. May all happen. Empires do come and go. There is a wonderful untranslatable word in Portuguese - āsaudadeā. Perhaps England will need to find a similar one. And write that into their new national anthem.
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I think the biggest problem is forcing your left wing views on us all without any sign of discussion. We are all frightened to post without your agreement. Hence this thread which has detiorated into a slanging match and which does not respect what is happening, with the Queenās death, that is the big problem not spats on here
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The existing one will persist surelyā¦ just the words āour gracious Queenā will be replaced with āKingā as it was with George, her father.
whose agreement?
I have diametrically opposed views to other members on many issues in a range of subject matters and Iām not shy in pointing those out - but usually with something to back up what I am saying.
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As long as there is both a king and a kingdom Iām sure the current national anthem is perfectly right. I think it is poignant and meant so much to many who gave their lives for the kingdom before us.
Might have to reissue CofE prayer books though. I was wondering, in these days of frugality if stickers might do but Iām afraid that more than a few of the 70 year old prayer books may not survive the glue
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I see no evidence of any āforcingā being done.
Iām curious to hear opposing views, but will not be forced into a ārespectfulā silence without being given sound reason, & Iāve not heard any yet.
Pointing out that in the space of 3 days the UK has just had itās two highest positions of state passed on without any form of truly democratic mandate is not a view, itās a fact.
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Interestingā¦ for me though, I find the National Anthem dour and uninteresting. OTOH the French Marseillaise gives a little āspunkā to affairs and is often sung with great gusto and passionā¦ not unlike the Il Canto degli Italiani canto 
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Which then causes you to just scream at us that you donāt like the posts and that we should stop.
How many times do we have to explain to you that this behaviour is what is irritating, not your political viewpoint - indeed apart from the fact that you donāt like my, or Grahamās or Geofās, or anyone elseās it seems point of view I am not exactly sure what your viewpoint is, because you havenāt really engaged in discussion sensibly, one or two posts at mostā¦
We have explained how to mute threads and individual members, I have suggested that you concentrate on starting or joining threads which discuss French life (and/or its difficulties) but you have done none of these things.
Itās getting a bit tedious, Iām afraid.
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May also be an opportunity for Justin Welby to have a little chat with His Holiness the Pope regarding a rewrite of the Lordās Prayer line āā¦ and lead us not into temptationā. I suppose I never really gave it enough in depth thought but I think Pope Francis has a genuine point and we now, in the schism church, with its new head, have an editing opportunity.
I would humbly suggest, should anyone ask, āā¦ lead us from temptationā.
On that timely note I leave you
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Oh yes! Rousing is so fun. Germanyās and the old Soviet Union were also goose bump inducing.
Who to write a new one? Please oh please not Elton John. Heād only rehash that sickly Candle in the Wind. Again.
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This is the usual argument, yes - but Johnson has show that however āspecialā our monarchy is, it does not trump the negative effect of Brexit and our increasingly right wing administration.
Pomp and circumstance might bring tourists, but it does not, in itself, do much for our influence on the world stage.
As for the Commonwealth - a tawdry ghost of an Empire that stripped many countries of their natural resources and skilled labourers. Iām not sure that is much to brag about .
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āJerusalemā has been suggested, which is not that bad an idea.
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The original Candle in the wind was a very good song, which should never have been touched.
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I suppose you have salient points and I do not disagree. Socratic argument is fun. But, I would miss all the pomp. My dearest friend recently got an OBE and Iām drinking champagne on it
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