04-12-2004, 12:25 AM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Canada's Queen
I'll be honest with you!
I want to know what (if any) is the Yankee's big hang up about a Queen/King and/or a Constitutional Monarchy.
We are very happy here in Canada with HM Queen Elizabeth II as our Head of State. She isn't oppresing us, and in fact is providing some of the greatest opportunities a country could ask for!
So, I lay it on the line......awake and tipsy on Easter Sunday......what is the big deal about being a REPUBLIC???!!!!
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | 
|  | | And now for this message... |
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04-12-2004, 12:31 AM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,091
| So far as I was aware, she was little more than a figurehead, leaving the country run by a Prime Minister and Parliament - which sounds a whole lot like this Republic's President and Congress.
If I am wrong ("And I am never wrong" - sorry, couldn't help it), then you are simply lucky that you have a benevolent monarch. There is nothing wrong with your system of government, so long as it remains benevolent. Problems arise when a bad person takes power and cannot be easily removed; therein lies the benefit of a republic - bad people are more easily removed. | |
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04-12-2004, 12:33 AM
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#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Where did you here that? And why?
Our head of Government (Prime Minister) is quite different than our Head of State (Queen, represented by a Governor General here in Canuck Land!)
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 12:37 AM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,091
| The general impression I got from my world history classes (which suck, I will admit, but they're all I have to go on right now) was that the British queen does not really excercise any significant power. Apparently I am wrong; please, by all means, open my narrow American mind.
Refer back, as well, to second statement of previous post, regarding ease of removal.
And have I mentioned I really hate the American high school system? | |
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04-12-2004, 12:56 AM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by Soldier The general impression I got from my world history classes (which suck, I will admit, but they're all I have to go on right now) was that the British queen does not really excercise any significant power. Apparently I am wrong; please, by all means, open my narrow American mind.
Refer back, as well, to second statement of previous post, regarding ease of removal.
And have I mentioned I really hate the American high school system? |
By no means are you narrow minded. In fact, for a Yankee, your comments so far are quite refreshing! Thank You! I know about 1/100 of your political system ashamedly as you are our closest neighbour and ally. I promise you I will attempt to learn more. (feel free to pass on some info to me!)
HM Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada. By legislation (Act of Accension).
She holds many powers which includes the approval of all legislation passed by our parliament. She keeps our government "in check" preventing any power coming into a total dictatorship, or contradicting our Constitution. Not being elected, and therefore, not professing to represent any particular "portion" of our society, she is charged with representing Canada as a whole. A rallying point for all Canadians. Her role is not diminished because she plays a back seat in the Media here in Canada, in fact she is not "dictated" by popular opinion by any media source be it right, left wing, or any particular source. I invite you to see her duties, and work at the following sites: http://www.monarchist.ca http://www.gg.ca http://www.lt.gov.on.ca (Here in the province of Ontario.) http://www.thecommonwealth.org (Formerly the British Empire)
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 01:33 AM
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#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Lots of info readily available for any pary wanting it! I will be happy to hear any criticizm'/concerns of this form of gov't. ( it's the only way I will learn!)
regards,
Civiltech
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 01:34 AM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by civiltech I'll be honest with you!
I want to know what (if any) is the Yankee's big hang up about a Queen/King and/or a Constitutional Monarchy.
We are very happy here in Canada with HM Queen Elizabeth II as our Head of State. She isn't oppresing us, and in fact is providing some of the greatest opportunities a country could ask for!
So, I lay it on the line......awake and tipsy on Easter Sunday......what is the big deal about being a REPUBLIC???!!!! |
uhhhhhhhhhh.better than some of the other threads! 
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 03:44 AM
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#8 | | Curmudgeon-in-Chief
Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Somewhere in your nightmares!
Posts: 22,838
| As far as I can tell, the only advantage to being without a ( powerless ) monarch is that one is also free of the enormous expense of supporting same in properly royal style... | |
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04-12-2004, 05:40 AM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Holland
Posts: 861
| As if supporting a president doesn't cost anything.....
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With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter | |
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04-12-2004, 06:16 AM
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#10 | | Curmudgeon-in-Chief
Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Somewhere in your nightmares!
Posts: 22,838
| Less than supporting a monarch. And in any event less than supporting a Prime Minister AND a monarch. | |
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04-12-2004, 10:16 AM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by Inquartata Less than supporting a monarch. And in any event less than supporting a Prime Minister AND a monarch. |
It costs about a buck per Canadian to support Governor Gen., and all the LT. Gov, and their administrations and duties. Peanuts compared to supporting a President I would think.
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 10:20 AM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 502
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by Inquartata As far as I can tell, the only advantage to being without a ( powerless ) monarch is that one is also free of the enormous expense of supporting same in properly royal style... |
How do you put a price tag on Democracy? And Powerless? Come on....where did that misinformation come from? Wow!
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"Politicians debating the future of our monarchy resemble a poachers’ convention deliberating on the future role of the gamekeeper."
Malcolm Winram, The Times, 9th March 1996. | |
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04-12-2004, 11:15 AM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey
Posts: 4,970
| If you, and others in the Commonwealth (the United Kingdom in particular) want to keep paying for the Queen and the rest of the royal family, then who are we to dispute you? I know there are Republican movements (that is, Republic vs. Monarchy, rather than Republican vs. Democrat), so it's far from unanimous in the UK, but that's up for you to decide. I don't think us Yanks mind: we don't pay the freight, and we enjoy the quaint spectacle. What I don't understand is what you get for it.
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"In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, theory and practice are different."
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04-12-2004, 07:35 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Posts: 2,993
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by civiltech <snip>
I want to know what (if any) is the Yankee's big hang up about a Queen/King and/or a Constitutional Monarchy. | Eh? What makes you think we care one way or the other? You want a Queen, have a Queen. No skin off my nose... Quote: |
We are very happy here in Canada with HM Queen Elizabeth II as our Head of State.
| Care to tell me just what a "head of state" is/does? Far as I can see, she's not doing anything special...The laws are passed and administerd by Parliament and the Cabinet, respectively. So, what's her work output, exactly? Quote: |
So, I lay it on the line......awake and tipsy on Easter Sunday......what is the big deal about being a REPUBLIC???!!!!
| Can't say as I've actually thought of the two things in juxtaposition. At first blush, I would have to admit I think the Queen is purely ornamental--and as such, is a matter of preference that can't be argued with, like painting your bathroom custard yellow or prefering pistachio over vanilla...
What's behind the question, anyhow? Some Yank cast aspersions on Her Majesty in your hearing, or what? | |
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04-13-2004, 09:55 AM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Michigan
Posts: 606
| Canada's Queen? I thought you ment Elvis Stojko or Todd Eldredge.
My apologies. | |
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04-13-2004, 10:22 AM
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#16 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The More Civilized South
Posts: 1,289
| I think you should relax, after all, he's only being fiercely patriotic. And God knows no one thinks there's anything wrong when an American feels that way...??? 
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BUSH WINS! 'I can't believe that some uneducated southern redneck's vote counts as much as mine'
— Anonymous Upper West Sider, 9/20/04."
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04-14-2004, 04:09 AM
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#17 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Canada
Posts: 124
| The monarch appoints the governor general to take on the actual role. In name that is - it is 'with the advice of the PM (read- appointed by PM and rubber-stamped by Monarch). The Governor General has not used the power to not approve legislation in decades. The Monarchy exercises no power. Were the position of governor general/ Lt. Governor to remained powerless (but useful in leading cultural envoy groups, providing a figure who is 'above politics' (to quote the current Governor General), as is the case now, I would support republic. Were the position to gain by convention power granted to it by the constitution but denied by convention now, I would not. The Senate at courts together provide sufficient cheeks. Though the notwithstanding clause of the constitution should be removed.
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Don’t use big words when diminutive phraseology will suffice
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04-14-2004, 01:21 PM
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#18 | | I am a man... A MEGA MAN!
Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South Carolina über Alles
Posts: 2,593
| Oh lord, RebelFencer's political system has been turned on. *ahem* With how much their Queen is costing them, how much do you think it costs us indirectly when Bush is asking for 87Billion dollars for a "war" that is supposedly over to find WMDs that were never there? Also, I'm pretty sure the raised gas prices are also somehow connected to us going in and raping a country that didn't have the means to attack us in the first place. At least nobody hates Canada, some may laugh at it on occasionally *twiddles thumbs innocently*, but hey, they have it pretty good up there and the jokes are all in good fun. But, I'm too lazy to go there...plus I'm a poor college student.
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RebelFencer's Awesome Quote of the Week:
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04-14-2004, 02:06 PM
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#19 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: London
Posts: 1,216
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by RebelFencer Oh lord, RebelFencer's political system has been turned on. *ahem* With how much their Queen is costing them, how much do you think it costs us indirectly when Bush is asking for 87Billion dollars for a "war" that is supposedly over to find WMDs that were never there? Also, I'm pretty sure the raised gas prices are also somehow connected to us going in and raping a country that didn't have the means to attack us in the first place. At least nobody hates Canada, some may laugh at it on occasionally *twiddles thumbs innocently*, but hey, they have it pretty good up there and the jokes are all in good fun. But, I'm too lazy to go there...plus I'm a poor college student. | You're right and wrong about gas prices. The prices have been so high because the U.S. (and other Western countries) had been stocking up on their oil reserves for fear of being cut off by OPEC. Believe it or not, until a couple of weeks ago, the volume of oil being sold out of the Middle East was extremely high. They recently cut back a bit, though.
So, Bush has not been keeping your gas prices high indirectly through his politics in the Middle East. He has been doing so directly, by buying up so much oil that demand is outpacing supply, which has been near an all-time high.
Or so says The Economist ... I'm not feeling up to much extra research. | |
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04-14-2004, 02:09 PM
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#20 | | I am a man... A MEGA MAN!
Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South Carolina über Alles
Posts: 2,593
| Ah, ok. I didn't know that at all. Thanks for the info. Kalivor.
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RebelFencer's Awesome Quote of the Week:
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