Truss Takes Office in Time-Honored British Fashion - The New York Times
How many of the people bashing QEII would be working at least until two days before they die?
Queen's poignant response when told about plans to fly her body in military plane - "The Queen’s respect for the Armed Forces shone through in her touching reply when told about the plans to repatriate her, a staff officer has revealed. Originally, Operation Overstudy included a plan to bring the Queen back to the UK aboard a small BAe 146 if she had died overseas. It was thrown out following issues with the repatriation of Princess Diana in September 1997 which did not go smoothly "due to difficulties in loading the coffin into the freight bay"... Staff Officer Pete Morgan said: “I never met HM The Queen, but when I was a staff officer in 2009, I was tasked with reviewing and rewriting the Operation Overstudy plans, which detail how we would repatriate her body if she died overseas. "The existing plan was for her to be transported back in a BAe 146, a smart business jet operated by 32 The Royal Squadron.” When the RAF sought approval for the change of aircraft the Queen touchingly replied: “If it's good enough for my boys, then it's good enough for me.""
Opinion | Mourn the Queen, Not Her Empire - The New York Times
This came out a few hours after her death. When you thought the New York Times couldn't sink any lower...
mirax on Twitter - AJ+: "Queen Elizabeth had an estimated net worth of $500,000,000 plus holdings and estates worth an about $25,000,000,000, in 2019. This includes Buckingham Palace, worth over $1 billion, and Balmoral Castle, worth nearly $70 million. The average UK citizen makes about $43,300."
"I wonder if this trash news site will ever do a similar accounting for Qatar?"
Queen Elizabeth II and colonialism, explained by an expert on the British Empire - "“All empires were violent,” said Caroline Elkins, whose second book, Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, came out earlier this year. “And the British Empire was no exception to that.”... there’s “absolutely no extant documentary evidence directly linking [Queen Elizabeth II] to knowledge of systematic violence and cover-up in the empire,” Elkins said, and what little evidence does exist indicates that some of Britain’s highest-ranking officials lied to the queen to cover up atrocities, “just as they did with the public and Parliament.”... Some of the most draconian policies were implemented and enacted under the Labour government. In the postwar Labour government of Clement Attlee, Malaya becomes a site of the first real use of detention without trial on a massive wide scale (after it was used, of course, early in the 20th century in the South African or the Boer War). But in Malaya, it’s policy: illegal deportations; villagization, the putting of these colonized populations into villages; the degree to which black spots are used for interrogation and torture — this all happens under the Labour government, and the knowledge of that goes all the way up to the top"
Almost all governments are violent, but when they are not empires it's alright
In school, we were told the concentration camps were about winning the hearts and minds of people. Yet, we have the luxury of condemning what was done to combat insurgencies when the insurgents' crimes are whitewashed. And from the track record of Communist regimes we know that their brutality would likely be far worse if the insurgents had won
Thank God for Elizabeth II, whose reign kept tyranny at bay - "America's tripartite division is, perhaps, insufficient: a fourth branch is necessary, for reasons that are psychological and social, simultaneously. Someone independent (and worthy) needs to carry the symbolic burden. It is for this reason that those who clamour for the dissolution of the great drama of the monarchy, so well played by the Commonwealth’s great former sovereign, risk destabilising the societies they purport to support. Every country needs someone to shoulder the symbolic burden of the state. If that person is not a monarch, set up explicitly to manage that role, the responsibility (and temptation) tends to fall on the head of state, the leader of the executive branch. Why is that a problem? Because the proclivity for pharaonic leadership makes itself manifest; because the temptation to dynasty re-emerges; because the role of president or prime minister (or dictator, for that matter) and, simultaneously, star is too much of a part for any one person to play without significant and often deadly moral hazard. In the US, a remarkable and free country, the president can too easily slide into the role of Tsar – and not just the president, but the “First Family,” with the wife an ersatz queen, and the children princes and princesses. All people need someone to look up to; need someone to serve as a model for emulation – but it’s useful to separate those who could formally serve that role from those who have to make the administrative and practical decisions... The monarchical system therefore fulfils a vital psychological (spiritual) and social purpose. It’s of great practical utility, as well. The Americans are a great and attractive people, not least because of their remarkable tendency to mythologise and dramatise their culture, political and individual. The Brits have the same propensity: to play out a great story – and the monarchy can play the leading part, just as Queen Elizabeth did so well... We should all remember, in the aftermath of the passing of our great monarch, that it was the UK and its traditions and freedoms that produced the industrial revolution that has made us all wealthy beyond even the imagination of our forebears, and that fought the long battle to make slavery not only untenable on the political and economic fronts but clearly wrong from the moral position. Slavery was universally practiced, as far back into history as we can see, and as widely as any other economic practice. Abolition was the exception and, while abolitionist sentiment emerged in other jurisdictions, no country did more to enforce the strictures against slavery on the international scene than the UK. "
Sophie Corcoran on Twitter - "Dear Americans who mock us for mourning our beloved queen, She dedicated her entire life to her duty and our country even just two days before her death. You mourned a man who pointed a gun at a pregnant woman by burning cities to the ground. We are not the same."
Professor Who Wished Queen 'Excruciating' Death Is Rebuked By University - "Carnegie Mellon professor Uju Anya wished Queen Elizabeth II “excruciating” pain before the royal’s death Thursday, generating backlash from the Pittsburgh university and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos."
Facebook - "The Igbo and Yoruba have thoroughly benefited from British Colonization, they have embraced the trappings of a modern Western education to improve their lot in life and compared to the pre-colonial domination by the northern Hausa, they are no longer under class. And in fact now are overrepresented in the universities and academia. And they hate the system that brought them out of the pit and into self-determination and success."
Jeff Bezos slams professor for wishing Queen Elizabeth 'excruciating' death - "“I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying,” Uju Anya, an associate professor of second language acquisition at Carnegie Mellon University, wrote in a tweet on Thursday. “May her pain be excruciating.” The world’s third-richest man then quoted Anya’s tweet and wrote: “This is someone supposedly working to make the world better?”... After one Twitter user wrote, “Ewww you stink,” Anya responded: “You mean like your [pussy]”"
Mirror
Facebook - "To try to blame Elizabeth II, a monarch whose power is mainly symbolic, for the evils of the British Empire is a grave misreading of history. Like all of us, she was thrust into a world without her choice. Obviously, no one chooses to be born. But more importantly, no one chooses the circumstances of one's birth. She wasn't even meant to be queen. That title should've been reserved for the descendants of her uncle, had he not abdicated his responsibilities. I find it off-putting that the people who are blaming her as the architect of the disgusting colonial legacy that her country left behind must think themselves so morally superior when, in fact, the only real advantage that our generation has is being born later than our ancestors. Remember this people: We have the privilege of hindsight when we assess the morality of issues in the past. We can only make ethical judgements because we are on the pedestal built off of the experiences of those who came before us. This is why I find it funny when people today from a certain political persuasion say that had they lived as German citizens in the 1930s, they would've opposed the Nazis. Oh really? To make such a claim is to say that you are morally ahead of your time and not a product of your circumstances. And this is where our modern intuitions really fail because most people don't even recognize that sometime around 1936, over 90% of Germans supported Hitler and his National Socialist Party. Chances are, if you and I were born during that time as German citizens, we would've been part of the 90%. We would've been Nazis - which is a difficult pill for us to swallow, our modern sensibilities and all. However, acknowledging this should make things crystal clear: that we are not divorced from our current realities. That our choices are swayed by events beyond our current comprehension... While undeniably flawed, Queen Elizabeth was not Hitler. In fact, she became part of the UK's Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II and became actively involved as a driver and mechanic. She helped her country oppose Nazi Germany. To even try to compare them is to choose to ignore the role she had. A role she fulfilled with grace, courage, and strength"
Comment: "people, like the young and naive, who think and say they would have been anti fascist if they lived in nazi Germany but at present day they are usually the season pass holders for any popular bandwagons that roll through their side of the world. No reasonable skepticism, just wholesale acceptance of whatever they are told is the truth or the right way. Remember BLM? I rmb getting cut off by loads of young people, for not immediately and completely surrendering to their factually inaccurate narrative. Now even mainstream media covers how corrupt that organisation truly is."
Meghan Markle Concerned Queen’s Death May Yank Her From Spotlight For A Few Days | Babylon Bee
Meme - Netflix: "QUEEN ELIZABETH II *Black woman*"
Meme - "Emily Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen di...
Molly Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen di...
Shannon Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen di...
Chloe Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen died
Amber Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen died
Allison Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen died
Alice Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen died
Ada Tinder: You: R u ok? The news said a queen died
Jocelyn: Who is this
Anastasiya Tinder: You: Are you ok? The news said a queen"
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is even bigger than Winston Churchill’s - The Washington Post - "About 350 million watched Churchill’s funeral worldwide, a still-startling figure given the period. Yet some observers predicted that the queen’s would break global viewership records, potentially topping 4 billion by day’s end. Such an enormous number might actually be impossible — totaling more than half the planet. But should the final tally come anywhere close, her funeral would become one of the most-watched television events in history."
DocSandlin on Twitter - "The British empire had many faults, but it’s important to remember that wherever it went — including North America — it elevated the standard of living, fostered the rule of law, and inculcated generic Christian truth. Alternatively, many of the decolonialization movements of the 20th century, particularly in Africa, created murderous, dictatorial, Marxist or nationalist regimes leaving horror in their wake. If you must choose between British empire and revolutionary decolonization, choose the Brits every time."
Queen Elizabeth dies: Former private secretary Sam Cohen’s fond memories of working for the Queen - "In 2002, she wanted to venture into Changi Airport’s duty-free mall. She was absolutely delighted that no one recognised her and thought it hysterical when shop owners started bartering furiously with her. “Lady – you like this necklace?”... In 2014, aged 87, the Queen decided that she had never done a “day trip” to Europe and wondered if this would be possible. She had received an invitation from Giorgio Napolitano, Italy’s then-president, who had written to say he greatly admired her and, would she like to come for lunch?... She was a great listener and, if you ever “winged” a briefing, would listen patiently until you had tied yourself in knots... Seldom is she acknowledged for her administrative abilities, but she was a brilliant chief executive. She managed to be across the detail of her Head of State work. At the same time, she made sure she had digested all the news for the day ahead and was thinking diplomatically about world events and issues"
Chinese Netizens Call Carina Lau “Despicable” After She Pays Tribute To Queen Elizabeth II - "Hong Kong-Canadian actress Carina Lau, 56... Said netizens felt it wasn’t Carina’s place to mourn the passing of The Queen and left comments such as “What has The Queen’s death got to do with you?”. There were also some harsher comments, saying that “as a Chinese”, Carina was “despicable” for "having so much love" for The Queen... Carina is not the first celeb to have drawn criticism for paying tribute to the late Queen. Hong Kong actor Law Kar-ying initially wrote a similar post, but soon took it down after he was slammed for the same reasons. He then posted a video apologising to netizens and admitting that his post was “inappropriate”."
Chinese are not allowed to mourn non-Chinese. This is especially funny as she's Canadian
Opinion: CBC searched for Marxist profs to speak ill of the Queen - "It must have been an awful dozen days for the woke folk who run the CBC Newsroom. In the first hours, the Queen’s death was very sad so, given most people’s quite human reaction, there was little opportunity for the ideological instruction, especially on matters of race, indigenousness and gender flux, that increasingly dominates what comes out of the corporation. And then, strangely, it turned into a good-news story, as the focus shifted to the Queen’s having hardly ever turned a foot wrong or spoken a hurtful or unwise word during 70 — seventy! — years of what only an ignoramus would deny had been dedicated service... If you’re looking for anti-imperialists to interview, the Windsors not only talk the talk, they walked the walk — right out the door, all across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, where in June Prince William was only the latest royal to listen politely to republican rhetoric from a Commonwealth prime minister, in this case Jamaica’s Andrew Holness... if I were a republican lefty, as I was in my misbegotten twenties, I hope I would understand that there’s nothing wrong with devoting 12 days to respectful remembrance of a long-serving, much-loved sovereign and leaving any and all discussion of the monarchy, colonialism and the like until afterward."
I saw someone claim that people shouldn't be praised for doing things that help their legacy. Seems like nothing people do non-anonymously can be praised, then
Meme - Queenelizabeth_3 Instagram 0 followers - 1 post
New Instagram account
Hey, it's me Queen Elizabeth, I am not dead, Charles sent me to a deserted island so he could be King. I don't have access to my royal money so please cashapp me $300 so I can get back to the UK
Tea and biscuits"
William Watson: Dump the Royals? Don't change rulers in mid-eon - "Drawing on work by academics, the World Economic Forum lists the 10 oldest continuous functioning democracies in the world... The average age of these 10 oldest democracies is 145 years. That’s not very long... Eight of these 10 continuing democracies are constitutional monarchies. The U.S. states were, too, until the unpleasantness of 1776. Five of the top 10 countries — half of them — had an important connection to the British crown: the U.S., us, New Zealand, the U.K., obviously, and Australia. The U.S.’s connection was a key point of dispute during the rebellion, of course. But habits of government and conduct had been nurtured during two centuries of British colonization, including rule by British governors deputed by a string of majesties from James I to George III, not to mention the commoner, Oliver Cromwell, during Britain’s own constitutional difficulties in the mid-17th century. At times, the British Crown encouraged the development of democracy. William IV was instrumental in passing the Great Reform Act of 1832, for instance. At times, it did not. But it has long since accepted its current role of political restraint, symbolic leadership, social engagement and, on rare occasions mainly involving change of government, critical constitutional decisiveness. Judging by the democratic Top 10 list, it has been spectacularly successful... Despite the anachronism of hereditary succession, constitutional monarchy still has advantages in the 21st century. The distinction between head of state and head of government, for instance. What if our current prime minister were boss of everything? Some Canadians find him insufferable as-is. Imagine how his arrogance would soar with no one above him constitutionally. Having a single person who symbolizes the country’s history and traditions and whose duty it is to stand up for them is also useful. That went without saying before most countries started hating their histories. But in the rehabilitation of the past that will be necessary if democracies, maybe even societies, are to survive, restoring a sense of humility before history will be key. That someone reasonably neutral should handle decisions about whether to prorogue Parliament to let a government off a hook, or have a new election, or give some other parliamentary party a shot at governing seems indisputable. The problem is how to find a neutral. An elected president, no matter how respected, is unlikely to be neutral. The times are hyper-political... A number of the former politicians who have served as governor general have done a reasonable job of suppressing their partisan instincts — even if all were members of the same Laurentian elite. But it would be better if the choice of governor general were at greater remove from the prime minister’s office."
39 Surprising Things Queen Elizabeth II Owns - "1. All the Swans on the River Thames... She shares ownership of the birds with the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers, an arrangement that dates back to the 15th century (back when the animals were considered a delicacy)...
3. All the Dolphins in the United Kingdom... Until recently the Crown also laid claim to the bulk of Scotland's wild crustaceans, but that now rests with Marine Scotland.
4. Nearly All of London's Regent Street
5. Half of the UK's Shoreline
8. A Private ATM
9. The Best Seat in the House at Wimbledon
13. A Winning Team of Race Horses... She's also a savvy investor when it comes to race horses, and is said to have approximately 30 horses in training. As of late 2017, according to Harper's Bazaar, her impressive roster of race horses have earned the Queen close to $9 million over the past three decades with their 451 race wins...
18. Hyde Park
19. A Gold Record
20. A Bat Colony... she doesn't mind sharing Balmoral Castle with the colony of bats that has taken up residence in the property's main hall. She apparently likes to catch them with a butterfly net as they dart around her summer home...
23. An Aberdeen Angus Cow
24. Two Tortoises From the Seychelles
28. The British Seabed
29. An Offshore Wind Farm
30. The UK's Continental Shelf... The queen ultimately bears rights to the subsoil and minerals that lie in the UK’s marine shelf, while the government lays claim to the coal, oil, and gas deposits.
31. All of Scotland's Gold Mines
33. Trafalgar Square
36. Queen Elizabeth II's Own Tartan
Thanks to their Scottish roots, the British royal family as a whole has their own style of tartan—named “Royal Stewart”—which has apparently been the official tartan of members of the current British royal line since the late 11th century. As the reigning monarch, however, the queen herself is the sole owner of a grey, black, and red pattern of tartan—named “Balmoral”—that was designed by her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert in 1853. Even fellow members of the royal family technically have to ask the queen’s permission to wear it.
39. A National Collection of Mulberries"
Queen’s handbag: How she used it to give secret signals - "Queen Elizabeth II's handbags served as both practical fashion statements and a means of communicating with her servants in secret about when she wanted conversations to finish, according to a number of Royal specialists. The Queen always carried a handbag on her arm to match her extravagant attire or the occasion... The Queen would signal to her ladies-in-waiting that she wanted someone to come and interrupt the conversation by switching her purse from one arm to the other... The Queen would lay her bag completely flat on the ground if she absolutely intended to leave the situation right away. It appears that the Queen did the same thing by spinning a ring on her finger. As per media reports, the Queen would set her bag down on the table if she needed to end a supper in the following five minutes. The Queen also had a handy concealed buzzer she could use to tell her guests to depart if she happened to be accepting calls at Buckingham Palace."