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  1. #41
    Elemental Lord Reg's Avatar
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    I wish it were like musical chairs, and the first one to sit down when she abdicates gets to be the king. I would totally throw some elbows.

  2. #42
    I still can't fathom why Europeans haven't taken an "off with their heads" approach to monarchs and reappropriated their possessions to the nations.

  3. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    I still can't fathom why Europeans haven't taken an "off with their heads" approach to monarchs and reappropriated their possessions to the nations.
    Why would we and doubly why we would we touch their possessions? The US gonna kill Bill gates and hand out his stuff?

  4. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Xanjori View Post
    Why would we and doubly why we would we touch their possessions? The US gonna kill Bill gates and hand out his stuff?
    Yeah, this is the cultural difference that'll never really resonate as anything other than just odd in my head. The idea of monarchy isn't at all similar to someone earning wealth.

  5. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    Yeah, this is the cultural difference that'll never really resonate as anything other than just odd in my head. The idea of monarchy isn't at all similar to someone earning wealth.
    But their personal lands are what they inherited, they were wealthy families before they became monarchs.

    Besides they generate income, ironically mostly from Americans :P

  6. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    Yeah, this is the cultural difference that'll never really resonate as anything other than just odd in my head. The idea of monarchy isn't at all similar to someone earning wealth.
    I'd take the inherited british monarchy over the inherited Hilton's or Kardashians any day.

  7. #47
    Quote Originally Posted by Xanjori View Post
    But their personal lands are what they inherited, they were wealthy families before they became monarchs.
    Aside from finding inherited monarchy utterly repulsive, I'm not big on the idea of big generational wealth inheritance either. Massive estate taxes on wealth over a certain threshold seems like a fine idea to me. People should earn their wealth.

  8. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    Aside from finding inherited monarchy utterly repulsive, I'm not big on the idea of big generational wealth inheritance either. Massive estate taxes on wealth over a certain threshold seems like a fine idea to me. People should earn their wealth.
    The Queens lands generate about 10x more money than they take from the Government, the money generated from the Royals family land then goes straight back to the government.

  9. #49
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    Aside from finding inherited monarchy utterly repulsive, I'm not big on the idea of big generational wealth inheritance either. Massive estate taxes on wealth over a certain threshold seems like a fine idea to me. People should earn their wealth.
    I wonder what the inheritance taxes are in regard to the monarchies, I honestly don't know what they pay.

    And of course it depends on what political power they actually have.

    I've heard that the English royals at the least, lease/give their property rights to the government in return for a salary which is less than those lands actually produce, money wise, but not sure how that fits into things.

    I'm not a big Royalty guy, but you can tell some american's really seem to miss the fact we lack some. Look at the Kennedy's as an example, especially when JFK Jr went down and they were all over it.

  10. #50
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    I still can't fathom why Europeans haven't taken an "off with their heads" approach to monarchs and reappropriated their possessions to the nations.
    Because its in the constitution!

  11. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by Cattaclysmic View Post
    Because its in the constitution!
    You win an internet. Well played sir.

  12. #52
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    Aside from finding inherited monarchy utterly repulsive, I'm not big on the idea of big generational wealth inheritance either. Massive estate taxes on wealth over a certain threshold seems like a fine idea to me. People should earn their wealth.
    We could take away all their titles. But i think it would be a gross injustice to take everything from them just like it would be to take everything from the layman or Bill Gates.
    It would prolly end up with Coca Cola buying the royal palace if it went into private hands.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-29 at 12:15 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Xanjori View Post
    You win an internet. Well played sir.
    And you lose one for showing a viking with horns.

  13. #53
    Legendary! Wikiy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    I still can't fathom why Europeans haven't taken an "off with their heads" approach to monarchs and reappropriated their possessions to the nations.
    Because Europeans whose countries are monarchies grew up with the idea that they have a king or a queen stuck in their head and they're used to it. By the time they grow up, from all of the social processes that happen, they essentially like their kings and queens as symbols of their nations. Personally, I don't get it either.

    That being said, I wouldn't be particularly upset if my country was a kingdom either.

  14. #54
    Quote Originally Posted by Xanjori View Post
    The Queens lands generate about 10x more money than they take from the Government, the money generated from the Royals family land then goes straight back to the government.
    That seems like a rather bad reason to give them any political clout at all. What a odd thing, as an outsider, to see an anachronistic tradition kept around for the sake of some cash.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-28 at 06:23 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Cattaclysmic View Post
    We could take away all their titles. But i think it would be a gross injustice to take everything from them just like it would be to take everything from the layman or Bill Gates.
    I'm not sure how high inheritance taxes would be a gross injustice.

  15. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by Wikiy View Post
    Because Europeans whose countries are monarchies grew up with the idea that they have a king or a queen stuck in their head and they're used to it. By the time they grow up, from all of the social processes that happen, they essentially like their kings and queens as symbols of their nations. Personally, I don't get it either.

    That being said, I wouldn't be particularly upset if my country was a kingdom either.
    Its more like that they do not do anything and can be seen as either a beacon for our culture or as useful tourist magnets. My country has the oldest surviving monarchy - AND flag.

  16. #56
    Quote Originally Posted by Kangodo View Post
    So for the first time in 123 years we'll have a king :O
    Awesome!
    umm, why can't you have both?


  17. #57
    Quote Originally Posted by Wikiy View Post
    Because Europeans whose countries are monarchies grew up with the idea that they have a king or a queen stuck in their head and they're used to it. By the time they grow up, from all of the social processes that happen, they essentially like their kings and queens as symbols of their nations. Personally, I don't get it either.
    Right, I can intellectually understand that it's been drilled into people's heads the same way that a loathing of monarchy has been drilled into mine. I just don't really get how it stays in place in a populace that stops and thinks about whether it's just for a couple minutes.

  18. #58
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post
    That seems like a rather bad reason to give them any political clout at all. What a odd thing, as an outsider, to see an anachronistic tradition kept around for the sake of some cash
    What political clout? The Queen meets and talks to the PMs occasionally but she only offers advice and they've all commented on how valuable her advice has been. Outside of that mostly her roles are as a diplomat which she does very effectively and ceremonial duties.

    I'm not sure how high inheritance taxes would be a gross injustice.
    Inheritance tax on what exactly? Every single penny earned by the royal estates goes directly to government, you're going to tax money thats already paid to the government?

  19. #59
    Quote Originally Posted by joeyray View Post
    umm, why can't you have both?
    Because if the the Queen is the one of royal blood her husband will only be Prince consort.

  20. #60
    Quote Originally Posted by Xanjori View Post
    What political clout? The Queen meets and talks to the PMs occasionally but she only offers advice and they've all commented on how valuable her advice has been. Outside of that mostly her roles are as a diplomat which she does very effectively and ceremonial duties.
    I think you just answered your own question. Getting a PM's ear and taking a prime leadership role in foreign engagement is a fair bit of political clout for someone with no real qualifications other than being born to the right person.

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