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Hands off our honours system!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
The Labour-run public administration committee's review of the honours system is completely ridiculous. Surely "modernising" such an ancient institution is a contradiction in terms.

Stupid politically correct idea No. 1: Removing the word "Empire" from titles. This is another of Labour's pro-European, anti-British ideas. So we don't have much of an empire anymore, but surely the glories of our past can be remembered in the titles of some of our honours?

Stupid politically correct idea No. 2: Removing the titles "Sir" and "Dame". Knights have been around since medieval times, although these days they are more likely to be celebrities than military officers. Why get rid of them now?

Labour is slowly eroding British institutions that have been around for hundreds of years. First it was hereditary peers, then it was the Lord Chancellor, now its the turn of the Knights. If this rot isn't stopped now it could end with the abolition of the monarchy itself.

I do hope the government desn't follow the advice of this committee and dumb down the honours system, because I'd quite like one for myself one day.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    firstly it was good to get rid of hereditry peers, but they should of worked out a good way of replacing them beforehand


    lord chancellor should have been kept as theres better ways of reorganising the top of the judicary



    and on these titles, yeh i thinks stupid, they only titles, apparantly its racist to have 'empire' in a title, so yeh its jsut part of a pointless attempt to redo this country in labours image
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get rid of the honours system entirely.
    Shoot the royal family too.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the honours system is fine as it is, all it is our traditonal way of honouringthose who have done something decent, shame we have a celeb culture


    and dont go into one about the monarchy please!!!!!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by wheresmyplacebo
    the honours system is fine as it is, all it is our traditonal way of honouringthose who have done something decent, shame we have a celeb culture
    Exactly. Its just a bit of fun, really. The entertainment industry has awards like the Oscars and the Brits, Athletes win medals and cups, so why can't everyone else have some sort of award for good work?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no matter how patriotic you are you have to admit that the Empire has many terrible connotations with slavery and superiority etc, i know it means fuck all to anyone and i couldn't care less myself if it stays or goes but yes the term could offend some people
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by turlough
    no matter how patriotic you are you have to admit that the Empire has many terrible connotations with slavery and superiority etc, i know it means fuck all to anyone and i couldn't care less myself if it stays or goes but yes the term could offend some people

    All the other empires were exactly the same, are we going to stop teaching kids about the Roman Empire in case it offends someone? The British Empire was also the first to abolish slavery, yes they did some things that aren't accpeptable now but they were different times.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no matter how patriotic you are ...you have to admit this country needs modernising ...bringing in to the 21st cenytury.
    why are so many people afraid of change?

    come on ...sir mick heroin addict cocaine abuser jagger!
    sir dope head paul mcartney!
    they honour these people but don't even respect their freedom of choice. it's a bloody farce.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm all for abolishing it.

    I think it's very admirable to aknowledge people who do good works, but it can be done in ways other than a stupid title which no one (well no one I know) credits anyway.

    There are other awards ceremonies which reward heroes aren't there? Sure I saw one on This Morning (I never said I was highbrow!) a while ago where they allowed people to nominate local heroes...anyone know the thing I mean? Anyway it seemed to be a great idea because people who do the really good, "heroic" things might not be discovered unless they were brought to light by their fellow peasants :rolleyes:

    As for its connotations with the British Empire, I think they're a negative thing...regardless of Blair's merciless drive to become a European player. As turlough said, it takes you back to shameful things in our nation's past. We should be able to be proud of our home without harping on about (arguably) the triumphs of the past, and able to aknowledge good deeds in a more up-to-date way.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think we should keep the honours system, but it does need changing.

    The empire should be removed from the name, not because it has connotations of slavery and repression, but because it's non-existant. The British, the English in particular are so hung up on former glories (1966 anyone?). We should live in the present and look to the future, in ourselves and as a nation.

    However, I think keeping the titles is important.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by briggi
    able to aknowledge good deeds in a more up-to-date way.
    i'd rather them give me a hundred grand and my name on a park bench ...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    i'd rather them give me a hundred grand and my name on a park bench ...

    Yeah, or a pound and a hundred park benches. And then I could tour the country sleeping on my achievements...and doing more good deeds of course, possibly for bandstands.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They're parasites on society.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    And your reasons for this?
    J ...this is the 21st century ...it is just simply wrong to have princesses kissing frogs and princess playing golf at you expense ...it's fucking ludicrous!
    and the honours system ...i mentioned jagger and Mcartney ...both known criminals ...but they still get the honours ...it's a farce.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    So is the pope, but since when did we start treating people as if they were parasites not worthy of our thanks?
    The Royal family is one of our ties with the past, back in the glory days. Maybe they still inspire some to push forward and make that change?
    Recognition for achievement and the whole knightly good deeds thing is massively important in my book.
    at least the pope ...another parasite ...gets nmost of his immense luxury from the gullible ...are we as a nation gullible enough to be told to cling on to our past and lookto the queen and t the greek duke for inspiration ...perspiration is what begets inspiration from others ...in what way does the duke inspire anyone to be anything more than a stand up comedian in bernarhd mannings embassy club?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    10 out of 10 for a fucking good answer J but ...do you not see the contradictions and hypocrisy in you reply?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    I hadn't looked. :D

    Where? I'm blind to it being slightly schizo :p
    cop out this shizo stuff ...you mat well be ...i aint the one to say but ...you are obviously an inteligent and understanding man.
    so cut the crap and have a look at what you seeeed.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    For a start there's something romantic about it all, something that draws our attention to the "fairytale" side of life. A pure capitalist, machine driven world of grey buildings and people in it for themselves with no kind regard to others prosperity or wellbeing would be shit.
    Thank you J you sum up my argument far better than I could.

    Basically without the simple pleasures in life we simply become consuming machines. You're a slave to money then you die. If I wanted that I would live in the USA! Frankly I'm glad to be born in a country that has ancient traditions. Aristocracy, castles, cream teas, village fetes, it all adds up to a rich heritage we should be proud of.

    I'm digressing here, but its my thread and I'll go off topic if I want to.

    Sometimes I think I was born 100 years too late. I yearn for a Britain of village society and churches and respect for authority. Unfortunately its rapidly turning into an "every man for himself" consumerist society where as J said people are "in it for themselves with no kind regard to others prosperity or wellbeing"
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Hands off our honours system!
    Originally posted by Captain Slog
    Stupid politically correct idea No. 1: Removing the word "Empire" from titles. This is another of Labour's pro-European, anti-British ideas. So we don't have much of an empire anymore, but surely the glories of our past can be remembered in the titles of some of our honours?

    Stupid politically correct idea No. 2: Removing the titles "Sir" and "Dame". Knights have been around since medieval times, although these days they are more likely to be celebrities than military officers. Why get rid of them now?

    1. Codswallop. There may no longer be an Empire, and what the empire represented may not always have been the best. But we should never deny our history.

    2. The only knighthoods which should go are those given to politicians and civil servants. People should be nominated y the public for such awards. Does Sir Peregrine Chinless-Wonder deserve a knighthood more than Dave Charity-Worker?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I certainly don't feel like having to call anyone 'Sir' unless I wish to do so. Let alone 'Lord'. In that respect alone the honours are hopelessly outdated.

    Apparently "Lord" Jeffrey Archer demanded people addressed him as such, instead of Mr. Archer. That disgusting crooks like him can hold such titles and demand they're addressed to in such way shows that the system needs an update pronto.
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