The Royal Wedding sure has brought out the curmudgeons in force.

[MicaelS]

The UK is our closest ally, and from whose culture America was birthed. The UK is doing just fine, they have a better and more just culture, more inclusiveness, and sure have a better Social Welfare system than we do. All that, and still maintain the Royal Family. Beam, meet Mote.

As to why we like it? It's love, and we all hope for that.

What else would be on TV on a Saturday morning? Too early for sports, and we can't have real cartoons like the Classic Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Tom and Jerry, because the PTA and other curmudgeons have labeled them as too violent, or racist or sexist, or some other BS.

It's like a lot of things. If you don't like, don't watch it, but don't piss on other people's parade, or wedding because you are a sourpuss.

EDIT: Meghan Markle is Bi-racial + Divorced + American. That is a trifecta, after the way they treated Diana.

[Blue_Adept]

1. Anything that distracts from the RESISTANCE is bad for us

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Spending a couple of hours watching a wedding on TV is hardly a distraction,

any more than attending the wedding of someone you know would be a distraction. Is anything a distraction that does not involve watching cable tv news and commenting furiously on DU? Am I distracted from the "resistance" if I go to a movie or a concert or a party? Work in my garden? Watch something on TV that doesn't involve the iniquities of Donald Trump? I'm quite capable of holding more than one thought in my little head, thank you very much.

And I thought the wedding was lovely.

[Blue_Adept]

10. Maybe I should have used the sarcasm tag instead of the laughter tag

[MicaelS]

12. I got you OP. Pretty funny...

Guess we are "UNassimilated". Watch out for the drones and nanoprobes.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. Aha. Sorry. There have been too many similarly worded posts this morning

that were clearly serious and I thought this must have been another one. My apologies.

[Blue_Adept]

19. No worries. I've spent most of my spare time while working mocking folks in the other thread

There's like 240 posts in it and it's comedy gold with all the hurt over the wedding dominating today.

[BobTheSubgenius]

44. An actual apology. How nice!

Actually, I do hear ("read", obviously) them around here, but it's still nice. Kudos. I also hear some pretty bitter vitriol, the amount of which I find surprising among people who ostensibly have common purpose.

The world would be a lot better place if the only thing that changed was civility - manners and respect. The rest would follow. I've said that for so long, and am instead seeing a worsening trend, sadly...and much worse, much faster since Il Douche came on the scene.

I do hear apologies fairly often when I'm out and about, in my day-to-day though. I am Canadian, after all.

[NurseJackie]

17. I got it. I laughed! I have seen some who've expressed similar despair...

... only, they were serious.

[Hortensis]

18. I always have the evening MSNBC lineup recorded to

pick over in the early morning, instead of the conservative shows that lead off on cable. It's hard to imagine everyone doesn't have some resource that can rescue them from having to look at hats and fine architecture and watch black culture join with Church of England in a history-making wedding.

[BannonsLiver]

7. Not to worry

The cable nets were back to highlighting what a dysfunctional, fucked up and embarrassing disgrace our country is within an hour or so of the end of the ceremony.

[MicaelS]

9. Yeah, they who helped engineer it. n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I completely agree.

We're Democrats, right?

That means choice is very important to us. It doesn't matter what the choice is about, but that we have it.

A heterogeneous world is a much more interesting place than one in which everyone is in lockstep.

[MicaelS]

6. There are always people who know what is best for the rest of us.

Most of them tend to be RW, but we have to many of them on the Left.

[mainer]

3. Yeah, it's amazing how many people go to the trouble to tweet that they "don't care"

If they really didn't care, they wouldn't bother announcing to the world that they don't care.

I happen to think this is an historic occasion worth wildly celebrating. Not just a wedding, but a wedding that demonstrates to the world that love knows no color of skin.

[DrDan]

35. and to point out they are not watching

[Siwsan]

5. I needed a breather, and watching the wedding was like medicine

The pomp and ceremony interspersed with smiles, laughter and cheering was lovely. The non-traditional elements made this a wonderful ceremony.

There aren't going to be any more royal weddings from the House of Windsor, for some time to come. The next big events will likely be when Charles becomes King.

[BobTheSubgenius]

82. I don't know how keenly he wants the throne, but it's been a LONG time coming.

No worries about him trying to set a longevity record - he's already 70.

[lunatica]

86. His mother is 92

and she’s quite healthy and lucid. Philip Mountbatten, his father is 96.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Anything that keeps Trump and his gang of criminals out of the media is fine with me!

I wasn't that into it, but I have seen a little bit of it today and I must admit, it's kind of cute. I'm happy for them!

[Kaleva]

11. Hard to believe people who say they don't care when they spend so much effort...

telling us how much they don't care.

[MicaelS]

13. BUT, they REALLY

REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don't care, and it of utmost importance that we know.

[Kaleva]

16. Apparently I care that they spend the effort telling us how much they don't care.

Now I have a headache!

[cwydro]

15. Yes, the sourpuss threads today were pretty funny.

Every damn one of them was obviously watching.

Pretty funny

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. They had to have something to be outraged about.

So they got up very early on a Saturday morning to gripe about how much they didn't care about the thing that was happening at that early hour that they would have slept through if they hadn't felt the urge to get up, turn it on, and tell us all how indifferent they were and how outraged they were about the fact that some people weren't indifferent.

[OldHippieChick]

20. One would hope that if nothing more, this

attention to someone more popular and w/ a prettier family would piss the Cheetohead off so much he would crap his pants. That alone makes my day.

[USALiberal]

21. It is silly it matters at all. No different than any other wedding today. Stupid. nt

[Civic Justice]

23. It matters on a global scale, and should matter to the thinking minds that grasp the gravity of it.

It demonstrate many things to many people and shows an advancement that America has difficult digesting in the scope of its significance by the premise and principles that are symbolized in what has taken place.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210632869


We are too quick to seek to DE-signify anything.... and its to our detriment in more ways than may even be considered.

[USALiberal]

24. A black president is important. A royal family in today's world is not. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. For the British, it is. The royal family is a national symbol for them -

Last edited Sat May 19, 2018, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

it goes back to the Norman Conquest and carries a lot of national pride. Over the years the monarchy has included quite a number of despots, miscreants and incompetents, but these days the monarch has almost no power, and, like the other European monarchs, the royals have a function that is almost entirely ceremonial. Since they don't have a function in government any more, what most of them do is promote and support various charitable and civic organizations. Charles is into environmental causes and Harry has founded an AIDS relief charity in Africa.

While they are wealthy, they don't own a lot of the properties we see: Windsor and Buckingham Palace are owned by the government and they just let the royals live there (like our White House). I think the Queen owns Balmoral and some other properties, but not the palaces.

Some in Britain favor abolishing the monarchy altogether (and presumably Parliament could do it), but it's not a popular position there, at all. I'm not a fan of monarchies, but it's not my circus and not my monkeys. And when you think of it, even if we had a monarch I can't imagine that they could be any worse than Trump.

[bluecollar2]

41. As an Englishman...

I disagree.

[RandomAccess]

54. On the contrary.

Might not be important to you -- and that's fine -- but it is enormously important to millions of people the world over. Probably billions.

The monarchy is well-loved in Great Britain, and mostly respected elsewhere. Today's remarkable ceremony and activities provided inspiration, delight, hope, joy and upliftment to many, including me. I was surprised at how moved and inspired I was by it all, but grateful. It was a delight and I'm better for it.

Let me say that again: It was a delight and I am better for it.

Meghan Markle -- and Prince Harry -- gave the world a lot to celebrate and even more to think about.

People who choose not to bother to look are more than welcome to stay closed-minded about such things. But don't imagine that YOUR take is the only, let alone RIGHT take on the whole subject. Right for you perhaps, yes, but not all.

[SammyWinstonJack]

26. Agree.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

25. It's kinda nice seeing something happy right now

I’m sure our regular crapsack transmissions will resume soon. Until then, let people have something nice.

[DemoHack]

27. Some people have a problem with "royalty."

Special bloodlines bestowed upon certain people to rule over other certain people, often through divinity or force or oppression or war.

This is 2018, even with harmless "royalty," this is a ridiculous and tired idea.

[DFW]

28. Don't forget--a law is a law

And "get a life" cannot be enforced in a court of law.

[X_Digger]

29. Meh, don't give a shit, this is my only post on the topic. n/t

[Different Drummer]

30. The following. Completely.

and we can't have real cartoons like the Classic Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Tom and Jerry, because the PTA and other curmudgeons have labeled them as too violent, or racist or sexist, or some other BS.

[DrDan]

31. spot on!!!! "curmudgeon" is a perfect descriptor! Thanks!

My wife and I watched - and enjoyed it.

So many here trying to out-cool each other.

[Ferrets are Cool]

32. You could have left this part out of your diatribe...

"we can't have real cartoons like the Classic Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Tom and Jerry, because the PTA and other curmudgeons have labeled them as too violent, or racist or sexist, or some other BS. "

Most of the time I hear that BS, it's from a repug saying it about a liberal/progressive. Many of those cartoons ARE too violent, racist or sexist, or "some other BS".

And if YOU have the right to bitch about the "curmudgeons", they have the right to bitch about the royals. What's fair is fair.

[Progressive dog]

34. The US was founded as an anti-monarchy

anti-aristocracy nation. It is not curmudgeonly to not romanticize legally mandated extreme inequality, at least for Americans.

[GulfCoast66]

49. It ended up that way after bitter fighting

But the original hopes of the colonist was to stay in the empire with more representation. Many of them also saw that staying in the Empire would mean losing slaves. But even after the fighting started many of our leaders saw themselves as British Fighting for the rights of British citizens.

So where is the French actually lived in the same land with the royalty, and their royals would not accept a constitutional monarchy, they pretty much had to illuminate the entire institution. Even their revolution did not start with the goal of loping off the head of their king. Lafayette is considered a hero of two revolutions and he came close to getting the guillotine because he was working for a constitutional monarchy. When their king tried to flee to Austria and gather an army to crush his own people they had no choice but to try him for treason.

Had king George and The Tories given the colonist increased representation, we might well be part of the Empire today. Considering how things have worked out, it might have been worth it to have a parliamentary system rather than system we have which was undemocratic from the get go.

I highly recommend visiting Lafayette’s tune in Paris. If you can find it!

[Progressive dog]

67. The original idea at some point was to have kings

but by the time of the revolution, it was to get rid of them. Wikipedia says about Common Sense---As of 2006, it remains the all-time best selling American title, and is still in print today. (I'm assuming that you at least have a clue about what part Common Sense played in the lead up to the Declaration of Independence.)
There were some people who clung to the king, most were forced to flee and their property was confiscated. A number were tarred and feathered.
I didn't know that Lafayette had a tune anywhere. Do you mean that he was a composer?

[GulfCoast66]

71. Yeah, I read common sense in high school.

Things did not work out too well for Thomas Payne!

But if at anytime in the first year or so the king called off his dogs and given the colonies parliamentary representation then the war may well have been brought to an end. Of course we will never know.

And I think you understate the number of loyalists. In the South where the endgame of the revolutionary war played out the British officers were from Britain but many of the troops were loyalists. In the Carolinas and Southern Virginia it was as much a civil war as a war against an occupier and the number of loyalists approached the number of rebels. And it got ugly as civil wars often do. Of course by then any chance of peaceful coexistence was long gone.

As far as Lafayette’s tune, well it was a result of posting on an iPhone while grilling chicken! And as good as I am sure that tune might be, I guarantee you Lafayette’s Tomb is even better!

Have a nice evening.

[Progressive dog]

73. When I figure out what the life of Thomas Paine

has to do with what he wrote in Common Sense and how it affected the revolution. I'll reply to that part of your post.

I like the part about the number of loyalists in the south who somehow could elect almost no one to the colonial governments. Surprising too, how a southerner was the Commander of the Continental Army, Thomas Jefferson (another southerner) wrote the Declaration of Independence, lots of southerners fought at Bunker Hill and Saratoga. Then of course we have Patrick Henry who became governor after the appointed Lord Dunmore fled from the Patriots.
.

[GulfCoast66]

76. Thomas Payne? He was good at stirring things up.

And being an inspiration. But could not go beyond that. Failed at all endeavors that required actions rather than words. Or so I remember from 35 years ago. My history teacher was great and used his(Payne)example to emphasize that things happen willy nilly and not according to plans. If I remember correctly he fled here to avoid the Hoosegow. Played a huge role in riling up Americans and ignited our revolution. Then kind of dissapeared.

Kings mountain was American vs American. As were many actions in the south up till Cowpens. Which was the most decisive victory and tactically interesting battle of the war. And was truly American vs British. Ironically many of the soldiers in that battle were from the mid Atlantic states.

I wish the Revolutionary war history was as popular as civil war history. In my mind it is much more interesting and a way more dicey endeavor. Once the North went all in the civil war had a predetermined ending.

As an aside. My ancestors fought for freedom(for themselves) in the revolutionary war. Then fought for a shitty cause 80 years later. I am glad the win the first. Glad they lost the next!

[Progressive dog]

79. Paine did not disappear

he continued to participate in the US revolution, served as aide-de-camp to Nathanael Greene, and even went to France to help negotiate French monetary aid. He was elected to the French National Convention, jailed by the Robespierre faction, and released due to the intervention of James Monroe.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

58. Not exactly. The Revolutionary War was fought to separate the colonies

from the control of a particular king, George III of England, not for the purpose of establishing a republic. That concept didn't come until later, when the Constitution was written and eventually made effective in 1787, 11 years after the Declaration of Independence. The latter document consists mostly of a long recitation of the "repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States" but contained no mention of the form of government that would be adopted. The 1781 Articles of Confederation established a confederation of sovereign states, but did not contain mechanisms for controlling the powers of the executive, whatever form that might take. The Framers of the constitution eventually rejected creating a monarchy because they wanted a system of checks and balances that would distribute power among three branches of government - a concept that would make a monarchy impossible. It was considered, thought, and when Washington was elected President there were some in the new government who suggested he should be made King - an idea he immediately rejected. It is not accurate to say that the US was founded as an anti-monarchy, anti-aristocracy nation; there was a non-hereditary aristocracy - initially only (male) landowners could vote.

[Progressive dog]

64. Yes, exactly

Thomas Paine wrote the definitive argument for the revolution, you should read what it says about monarchy.

[LanternWaste]

83. As well you should read additional perspectives and interpretations from those who were there.

" you should read what it says about monarchy..."

As well you should read additional perspectives and interpretations from those who were there, also, look up the word 'definitive,' as its usage implies both an contemporary objectivity and an then-present authority that simply does not exist in the historical record.


The Revolution's Last Men by Don Hagist is a wonderful beginning in the expansion of our perceptions beyond that of our own biases, as it disallows us the tired, classic-comic-books notion that the conflict was fought for one reason only.

[Progressive dog]

85. Monarchy is one of the subjects of "Common Sense",

not the only one. You should read it, it's a lot more interesting than books written from the British perspective two hundred years later.
There are even some contemporary American authors who write about the American Revolution.

[nini]

63. We've got plenty of un-mandated inequality here

Last edited Sat May 19, 2018, 08:39 PM - Edit history (1)

We shouldn't be throwing stones in glass houses.

[Progressive dog]

65. We got rid of kings and aristocrats

You might want to edit your post to make sense. "We've got plenty of un-mandated equality here"

[nini]

68. We did get rid of 'royalty' as you say

But that hasn't stopped us from allowing money to stay at the top and create the inequality we have here.

I'm not a big royal watcher myself. At this point it's a tourism pull more than anything there.


Edited.. thanks.

[Progressive dog]

70. That is an incredible defense of royalty

There is no guarantee of equal outcomes in any system of governance allowing individual achievement and promoting progress. That doesn't make it right to start with two classes of citizen, based solely on parentage. In fact, I consider that to be a bad idea that has been tried and eventually rejected throughout the world.

[nini]

75. No ..

but you won't believe anything I say so you can have the last word.

[AJT]

36. Did the Obama's attend?

[GoCubsGo]

39. No.

[maryellen99]

40. Harry and Meghan wanted to invite them I read

But couldn’t because of trumpo the orange monster.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

48. That wasn't the reason. They decided not to invite any politicians,

not even British ones like Teresa May. Just friends and family, like a normal wedding.

[RandomAccess]

55. Thanks for adding that

[JoeOtterbein]

38. My mother-in-law was from the UK, who met my father-in-law during WWII and she

detested the royal family. She thought they were "phony." While she really loved her adoptive nation. She died very happy to here with our family in our SC PA home.

[Raine]

42. EXACTLY! nt

[Nitram]

43. And all the sappy cornballs, Renaissance Fair romantics, and swooning starry-eyed

romance novel-reading closet royalists. Hey, I'm a curmudgeon but I don't mind anyone enjoying a pleasant alternative to the stressful stream of news we've been enduring for the last two years. Live and let live, I say. I don't watch TV anyway.

[Collimator]

45. I get a kick out of the glamour and pagentry.

This doesn't mean that I want a royal family of my own. And if I did, I would rather have the current batch of Windsors than the Kardashians.


Frankly, it was a delight to see a world event that whatshisface couldn't dominate or even insert himself into in some whiny brat fashion.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

47. I'd rather have a constitutional monarchy with the Windsors

than an oligarchy headed up by Trump. I just hope he's gone sooner than later.

[kwassa]

66. Me, too.

[NastyRiffraff]

46. I didn't watch it, generally don't care about the Royals

but I'd never criticize anyone who chooses to watch the wedding, any more than I'd gripe about somebody watching basketball just because I don't like it. Also, I'm getting to like Harry and Meghan.

[GoCubsGo]

50. Nobody is criticizing anyone for choosing to watch it.

Those of us who are being labelled "curmudgeons" dislike the fact that it is dominating our media coverage at the expense of everything else. Nothing like tuning in for the local news and weather, only to have to see the Queen of England's motorcade driving down the road for 20 minutes on EVERY damn channel, instead.

[JI7]

72. Expense of what ? Showing trump's lies and not calling it out ?

It's not like they do a good job of news reporting other times.

[GusBob]

51. "Whatever it is, I am against it"

There's always, ( usually I avoid absolutes, but in this case I mean always, as in every fucking time) someone who wants to piss in the punch bowl. If someone enjoys something popular that's in the news or time of year, there's bound to be a pisser.

You know, I thought of giving examples, but I don't want to draw the little shitheads out today.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

60. There are always a few who want to point out that they are serious people

who will not be distracted by frivolities like weddings and sports events when there are serious and bad things going on, which can be stopped only if frivolous, unserious people didn't watch weddings and sports events, ever.

[riversedge]

52. I enjoyed watching most of the wedding. Got a bit bored a few times but

overall interesting on a cool, damp windy Sat. morning. Wished I was enjoyed to the sun in the UK. It was good for the soul to see so many happy people.

[Clarity2]

53. For me it wasnt about some royal romantic notion

It was more about being broken hearted seeing those young boys walk the funeral procession for their mother. Knowing their father, and the royal family would probably never fullfill their emotional needs after to deal with their grief. And waiting for the day when they would find their partner in life, have children, having love again that would match the love of their mother, and feel like they had a home that resembled what was torn from them. A step towards real healing.

This kind of “monarchy” is harmless, which involves mostly official duties that are charitable. Whats so wrong with that? And this new generation is only going to change it for the better.

The trifecta is a triple bonus. The world needed to see this. I hope it thawed some hearts.

And escapism is good right now. We all need some. Its easy to go insane in this environment or become hardened.

I feel like megans mom needed someone holding her hand! It must have been bittersweet knowing your child will live in another country from you. If diana was here, she’d probably be the one holding it.

[RandomAccess]

56. Nicely said

[Cha]

57. Love VS Hate.. I take Love everytime..

bigtree https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10633169

[doxyluv13]

59. No, Britain is not doing fine.

Congrats to the Sussexes and good show for the wedding but the UK sucks on racial justice issues. A couple points:

1. Black Britons are even more over represented in Prisons than Black Americans.

2. Foreign Sec. basically called President Obama a MauMau (due to BHO's father being Kenyan and anti-Imperialist). This is a borderline racial epithet and no one in the Government criticized him.

3. Check out the Windrush Scandal happening now. Thousands of Black Britons who were brought to the UK from the West Indies as children and are legally entitled to citizenship are having their lives ruined and being threatened with deportation (or deported) because they can't meet the crazy standards of proof the government is demanding, some of which it deliberately destroyed.

4. Read about the Grenfell Tower fire--who died and why. A public housing tower was clad in flammable plastic cladding to make it more visually appealing to it's posh neighbors.

Don't mistake a nice party and a racially diverse minor royal as indicating progress in what is a very racially unequal society.

[JI7]

74. The problem there is the politicians who have actual power

People could post about it if they wanted to.

[nini]

61. Some people are pissed off at pretty much everything.

Being outraged is a full time job to some and they must enjoy the perpetual state of bitter.

[Lokilooney]

62. The French knew how to deal with royalty...

[IluvPitties]

69. I personally don't care about the UK.

Never been an Anglophile.

[shenmue]

77. "Look at how anti-royal I am!"

[Tarheel_Dem]

78. I watched from beginning to end, and was delighted. And after getting some sleep, I tuned in to....

a couple of the highlight shows. The one with Robin Roberts was good. That's the beauty of being free, black & 21, I get to do what the hell I want, no matter who gets pissed off about it......at my age that's a bonus.

[mokawanis]

80. I'm looking forward to the topic fading away

because I don't care to keep hearing about the royals. i hope they have a long and wonderful marriage. I also hope I don't have to keep hearing about it.

[MicaelS]

81. Give it another day, and it will drop off the radar.

They were still talking about it on the Today show Monday morning.

[NCTraveler]

84. I'm glad people find enjoyment in it.

I would rather weed my flower bed.

Different strokes.....

[Lil Missy]

87. British Royalty and History has always fascinated me.

If anything about the royals or their customs disgust you, move on to something else.

Geeze