In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
These days, alas, for that buffoon it's par for the course!
Trouble is, he thinks everyone likes/enjoys his behaviour. I'm waiting to see if he's going to be on the receiving end of a right hook if he tries his bad manners on that 'other First Lady'?. After all she stands at an impressive 5ft 11in and his poison dwarf stature can hardly match up to that if all 5ft 11in is packed behind the right hook...
[IMG]http://forums.slacker.com/images/smilies/punched.gif[/IMG]
Just let me be a fly on the wall when it happens - please!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Michelle's manners are too good. Plus she's a firm believer in non-violence (though I admit I wouldn't mind seeing her knock this Bozo on his arse).
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Bagni;115210]Belusconi at least has been elected to office and been given a mandate by the Italian people unlike the lady in question. Keep the good work and reforms going Belo.[/quote]
Bagni.
Are you serious?
The [I]'lady in question'[/I] is a Constitutional Monarch and by right The Head of State, she has no need of a mandate. Mandates in our system of Gov't are reserved for those lesser mortals that we elect to represent us in Parliament. It may not be perfect, and indeed, in some cases far from it, but it is a system that has both evolved and served us well for almost 800 years (1215ad- Magna Carta).
Now let me ask you a question. Of the two HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, which one has been investigated almost continuously for the past few years on (& I'm being generous here) suspicion of criminal corruption? I know which one I would trust, and I'm not a royalist.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Yes I agree he has been and is probably still under investigation but he has achieved office not by being lucky enough to have been born in the right bed but by being freely elected by the people
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Bagni;115265]Yes I agree he has been and is probably still under investigation but he has achieved office not by being lucky enough to have been born in the right bed but by being freely elected by the people[/quote]
Bagni.
I think you're missing the point about the UK system of Gov't. You can't compare apples with oranges. If you want to pick holes in our system you should compare and contrast like with like.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Bagni;115265]Yes I agree he has been and is probably still under investigation but he has achieved office not by being lucky enough to have been born in the right bed but by being freely elected by the people[/quote]
The system of government in the UK is by freely elected Members of Parliament. The party that wins most seats on a first past the post system theie Leader then gets permission from the Queen to form a government.
But Her Majesty the Queen is a Constututional Monarch. She carries out the wishes of her government (duly elected by her people). It is well known that she has very firm points of view on many matters, and no doubt she makes these known to her Prime Minister of the day - but at the end of that day - her word carries far less weight than an 'elected' President in a democratic republic.
I haven't got a lot of time for many of the royal family, but this lady has conducted her long life entirely free of scandal or even a minimal hint of wrong doing, and for that I respect and admire her greatly. I think she is one of the biggest assets that Britain has, or has ever had!
I'm absolutely certain that the same cannot be said of Signor Berlusconi's life to date!
[IMG]http://static.blogo.it/deluxeblog/regina_elisabetta_01.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.stregatta.net/wp-content/silvio_berlusconi.jpg[/IMG]
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
OK, then. Can you explain why Elizabeth is one of the richest people on Earth? Much, much richer than Silvio, and yet she's never done a day's work in her life. (While I assume that Silvio has done "a little bit of this, a little bit of that".)
"Biggest asset" my ass.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Steve Graham;115274]OK, then. Can you explain why Elizabeth is one of the richest people on Earth? Much, much richer than Silvio, and yet she's never done a day's work in her life. (While I assume that Silvio has done "a little bit of this, a little bit of that".)
"Biggest asset" my ass.[/quote]
I presume you are speaking of her personal wealth in which case it is my belief that she would have inherited this from her father and mother. Follow that with good advice and wise investments over many years (and one or two well placed bets at the bookies) and you have a rich woman. Of course if you want to add her 'State' wealth (which most people seem to want to) to her personal wealth, then yes, she is a very rich woman (Croesus eat your heart out). But that 'State' wealth doesn't belong to her but to our country. I see that as being the tools of her job - but they are on loan to her from the British people.
I think if you want to compare the 'personal wealth' of Berlusconi with others, then try people who work in the same field... try with Rupert Murdoch, or William Randolph Hearst or Lord Beaverbrook. Or perhaps Richard Branson would be a good comparison...
I fully accept that you may see things differently and will probably disagree with [U][I]any[/I][/U] discussion which is 'pro' Elizabeth II. (Please note - I did [U][B]not[/B][/U] say 'pro royal family'). But I shall continue to admire and respect Her Majesty regardless of what you or others think of her. AND I stand by my belief that she is an asset to Britain.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I agree entirely. HM is a true asset and one of the few things that makes me feel proud to be British these days - unlike our erm... 'elected?' PM.
Meanwhile, it seems that the Italian PM has caused a new stir in Strasbourg. Watching the entire debacle this morning on TV was quite astounding.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Steve Graham;115274]OK, then. Can you explain why Elizabeth is one of the richest people on Earth? Much, much richer than Silvio, and yet she's never done a day's work in her life. (While I assume that Silvio has done "a little bit of this, a little bit of that".)[/quote]
Actually, my information on their weath was way, way out of date. Silvio is now actually 15 times richer than Elizabeth, whose personal wealth is estimated now at only $650 million.
And here's his latest...
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/04/2009 - 11:41In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Rather than start a new thread (besides which I like the title of this one) here is news of the latest incredibly rude thing this "unfortunate" statesman has done. You don't snub your peers. I guess he must have been saying "YEAH, I'M ON MY MOBILE. I'M AT THE NATO SUMMIT"
[URL="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jw486LkUk0OraEZsWrlIHuBzHwCQ"]AFP: Berlusconi in new gaffe at NATO summit[/URL]
He should get his mobile stuck over his mouth rather than to his ear. :laughs:
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Yes, Ghianda, I watched it on TV and you could see that Angela Merkel was not amused. A real gaffe and no manners.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I'm afraid this muppet (Berla) is totally convinced that as the centre of the Universe, the World and it's wife are at his beck and call, and that all should dance attendance around [I]him[/I].
His wealth and position can never make up for his ongoing demonstrations of rudeness and lack of manners. Somebody needs to tell him that. 'Maj' and 'Merkel' have both come very near to doing so in recent days, maybe a third 'M' (Michelle) may get an opportunity sooner rather than later....
Belusconi at least has been elected to office and been given a mandate by the Italian people unlike the lady in question. Keep the good work and reforms going Belo.