Charlie Rose

exeterline1860  06/09/2012 02:00 AM Report

I like to think of the part of me that is subject to the monarchy as my better half. I’m delighted to have the jubilee as another excuse to hang the Royal Standard out front despite the funny looks from neighbors. There it shall stay until Trooping the Colors. God save our Queen.

Returning home for the last part of my life has been on my bucket list as long as I can remember, primarily since enduring the over-the-top hubris of American exceptionalism embedded in schoolmates by their parents. As the years pass, the best of America gradually disintegrates. Opportunities to preserve it, while adapting to the changing world, are regularly missed as a consequence of the political bickering and backbiting amongst American leadership that is transferred shamelessly to a public being used as pawn of their power struggle.

True, there is party conflict within the governement of the Commonwealth, but somehow they seem to get to a point of action sooner than Congress. As FDR once said, “We will try it and see if it works. If it doesn’t, we will try something else.” The do-nothing state that America finds itself in, will destroy it. Critical lost opportunities will not present themselves again.

In a way, it’s an advantage that the Prime Minister and Parliament can focus mainly on legislative activities while the royal family takes on the public relations work. Queen Elizabeth has done a superb job promoting her nation in the last 60 years. Prince Charles and his environmental work will be embraced by his people when the time comes even if it is hard to imagine now. In the US, the President has to spend half of his term learning the job and campaigning for the next term, and another part of the remaining time socializing. It’s no wonder the US is struggling to keep up with the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Hip hip hooray for my better half.

SharkswithfrikingLazers  06/05/2012 11:12 PM Report

Niall says Americans are thrilled with the pomp and circumstance.

Perhaps because it is a fantasy world that takes us away from equality for a few minutes and then we can remember why we fought--and died--fighting against the crown.

He also says, as a stingy old Scotsman, he has trouble with the lavishness while under programs of austerity.

Yes, he is right. One can not take austerity seriously with this waste of time and money. The Queen should have made it a telethon or asked the world to send in donations to the Crown.

This is what happened at our local PBS channel and is why Charlie Rose was preempted--raising money to keep PBS going.

sammysammy  06/05/2012 08:40 PM Report

Britain robbed so many countries in the world.

They should pay reparations for all the "commonwealth" countries.

common wealth, does not mean British get to rob and take assets and wealth from all other countries they oppressed.

Nazi germany is made to pay money to some of it's victims.

How come the biggest thiefs, get away free ??

OLAN  06/05/2012 05:22 PM Report

Although the Queen is not our Queen anymore and we are not in the Commonwealth anymore, she is still the Queen in our hearts.

We remember her visiting us at our mall, presiding at community festivals and visiting families in housing project. These are all pretty new to us in their days in the 60’s and 70’s.

Princess Margaret visited us more often as far as I can remember. There was a road named after her. The biggest public hospital at that time was named after the Queen.

Today not all of us lived in the city anymore, but wherever we go, we keep those memories in our heart. Our young people may not know the Queen or may not know her as we do, but there is no doubt in my mind we all benefit from the spirit of love and care from a monarch whose legitimacy comes from the God’s anointment and in her cooperation with His graces. A true power is a faith that is transformational.

I think, to me, in our memory and in our young people is her greatest legacy.

We are Hong Kongers.

REMant  06/05/2012 12:23 PM Report

I agree with Burns AND Ferguson. The British were still the world's leader in most categories prior to 1940. Besides the costume dramas, I've always been impressed by their historians, myself, and the use of language and logicality of most Britons. I am less impressed with the cooking, the colonialism and the City. And I think even June too early for a vacation there. The monarchy, as it remains, tho, provides something we could probably use here. Not, of course, the pageantry or the patronizing, but as a symbol of the nation. Our Constitution just doesn't seem to fill the bill. Neither does Kim Kardashian. Although I don't think a lot of his taste in women, Charles, I suspect, will do just fine when his time comes, more jocularly, actually, than his mother. Lord Randolph Churchill is reputed to have said the aristocracy and the working ppl are joined by a common immorality. BTW, I was struck just how much William resembles his grandfather, when he was his age.