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| [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4], 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ] |
| Subject: Merry Christmas folks (and folkesses??) | |
Author: Dave (UK) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 12:42:58 12/24/04 Fri In reply to: Jim (Canada) 's message, "Merry Christmas to everyone here. Happy Chanukah, Ed (sorry I'm a bit late with that)" on 12:21:46 12/24/04 Fri ...and have a Happy New Year. Here's to a 2005 where our aims gain worldwide publicity! [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: HM's Speech | |
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Author: Ed Harris (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:05:13 12/24/04 Fri In the spirit of the FCS, I hope that we shall all have the opportunity of listening to the Queen's annual Christmas address to the Commonwealth tomorrow. I know it's not the same as when it was just on radio - "Calling Australia. Come in Canada. Are you there, Zanzibar?", with hundreds of millions of us sitting with our school atlas on our knees, a bowl of plum pudding in our hands and a lump in our throats - but it's pretty good all the same. Also, it goes out in the small hours of Dec 26th in Australia and about four in the morning in Canada, but that'll just teach you not to live so far from the meridien... Utinam deus reginam salvet, et annum novum mirabilem vobis ago. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: The Queen's Speech is lacking this year | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:12:00 12/24/04 Fri We get Her Majesty's Speech about mid-afternoon in Canada on the CBC. I have read that the Queen is paying tribute to British troops around the world in this year speech, which is admirable, but why doesn't she pay tribute to Canadian and Australian troops around the world? This sort of omission fuels republicanism and needs correcting. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Too damn right, Jim | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:40:26 12/24/04 Fri How can we convince doubters that the monarchy is "ours" if we get messages that make us feel disowned and unworthy? New Zealanders are helping restore peace in the Solomon Islands as well, which deserves a mention. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Absolutely - I feel like writing to Her Majesty to point this out | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:57:11 12/24/04 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: I agree... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 18:41:49 12/24/04 Fri This is outrageous, and if the content of the speech is as you say, it is even more of an insult to Canadians, who did not participate in the Iraq war. I’m sure HM would not have made such an oversight. When I think of who was most likely responsible for writing the speech, it all then makes perfect sense. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Addendum... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 18:45:10 12/24/04 Fri Even Tony Blair would not be capable of persuading the British people to ditch the morarchy. However, he is more than capable of persuading everyone else to... [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Really? | |
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Author: Ed Harris (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:14:11 12/24/04 Fri Now of that I most strongly disapprove. Quomodo sedet sola civitas, I suppose... Perhaps, if the poor old girl is being encouraged to write completely anglocentric speeches, she should instead write separate speeches for each of her realms. That would be even more palatable to certain elements outside Britain than a pan-Commonwealth thing. Separate monarchies and all that... same woman, different hat. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: It's the same as a British PM talking only about England | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:45:51 12/24/04 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Christmas Message | |
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Author: David (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 01:13:15 12/25/04 Sat Merry Christmas all. HM The Queen's Christmas message is broadcast on the ABC here at 7:20 PM. The news is cut short by 10 minutes on Christmas day for the message. I am looking forward to it and I hope as much emphasisis given to the Commonwealth as to Britain. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: HM Speech is broadcast in Canada on CBC at 12:00 noon. Merry Christmas to all my Commonwealth brothers and sisters | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 13:02:29 12/25/04 Sat [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: I have just seen the Christmas message - it was different | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:12:13 12/25/04 Sat I just saw the Queen's Christmas message and the one about the armed forces was not shown here. We saw the Queen talking about multiculturalism and tolerance for your fellow man. This is good, but there was absolutely no mention of the Commonwealth whatsoever. It was only implied by showing multiracial gatherings in Britain - again - only the experience in Britain. Did the Queen record two messages? Perhaps we got this one in Canada about multiculturalism because we were not in the Iraq War. If this was the case, then that is good. No mention of the Commonwealth in the message was extremely disappointing - this must be changed. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: "Different" is a fairly apt description... | |
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Author: Ed Harris (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:55:42 12/26/04 Sun I didn't hear all of it, because it started snowing about half-way through so I was preoccupied with storming around the house swearing and attempting to light fires, but the bits which I saw conform to what you describe. "Hooray, multiculturalism" etc., cunningly side-stepping the fact the United Kingdom has a monoculture of metropolitan modishness imposed upon it by consumers of sun-dried tomatoes and mineral water in tastefully converted mews houses in EC1. With this in mind, I was slightly disappointed that some hidden hand had prevailed upon Her Maj to go with something uncontrovertial this year. One can imagine it. "No soldiers, no sailors, definitely no tanks in the background, and I think, in fact, that any sand at all would be a mistake... No, Ma'am, go for something sickly and completely obvious like 'Isn't it great that we don't all hate each other?', and then we can have some shots of you and Prince Philip chatting to some Sikhs and whatnot, and, oh yes, this always plays well, you can have a choir of school-children who plainly can't sing, prevail upon some of them to lisp if you can, and round them up from a school in Harringey where there aren't any Anglo-Saxon children. After all, the monarchy has to be inclusive, you know. Pass me another plover's egg, wouldja?" "Well, if you're sure, Lord Privy Seal." "[munch munch] Never be more certain of anything in my life." "But oughtn't one mention the Commonwealth?" "The what? Oh, yes, that. Bit last week, I'm afraid. Off-message. Something nice about Europe? No, too controvertial. Lay off the controversy. Yes, lisping golden-haired, I mean, no, specifically not golden-haired children, singing something right-on like 'Why is it always Father Christmas? Why can't Mother Christmas have a go?' Right, now, I've sketched out some details, Ma'am. If you could just fax this to the Number Ten press office when you've fleshed it out a bit and Mr Milburn will have a quick dekko at it before we go on-air." Gawd save the Queen. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: My sentiments entirely... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 18:27:04 12/26/04 Sun Yes, I think the PC mantra was laid on especially thick this year. This has all the hallmarks of a speech written in Milbank, or wherever the New Labour citadel is located these days. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Christmas Message | |
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Author: David (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 08:19:40 12/27/04 Mon The message seemed fair enough to me. There is nothing wrong with promoting a message of tolerance and respect for different cultures. There is also nothing wrong with promoting the Monarchy to ethnic minorities. Although the Queen is just as popular (probably more popular) in "non-white" countries as she is is "white" ones such as Australia. It was disappointing for no mention of the Commonwealth to be made, particulary as it is supposed to be a message to the Commonwealth, rather than just the UK. If you want an example of promoting tollerance then you need to look no further than the Commonwealth. Perhaps Dave is spot on when he suggests this speech was written by one of Tony Blair's spin doctors rather the Queen herself. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |