Referendum on Scottish Independence

[gay_Aleks]

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts Tory governments making promises. Socialists.

Best life lesson passed down from my mother.

Also, never to trust clowns. Or mimes. And travelling puppet theatres and magicians.

 

[Traitorfish]

Alternatively,

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts Tory governments making promises.Socialists.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Dunno. They seem like kind of the people who aren't ready to make a world revolution, yet won't go around seizing countries because some minorities of yours live there. They're just there, not quite sure what they want to do, but yet they want to do something.

Guess that's why nobody really likes 'em.

 

[Traitorfish]

Good point. We could try:

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts Tory governments making promises.socialistsble

That's a message everyone can agree with!

 

[luiz]

Ugh. Okay, the lines in the lawn piss me off, so I now support England over Scotland simply because of that.

Balmoral is an English castle, though. Built by the English for the English. It just happens to be in Scotland.

To be super precise the guy who directed the construction of the castle was German. But we all know the English royals are Germans.

 

[Farm Boy]

Ugh. Okay, the lines in the lawn piss me off, so I now support England over Scotland simply because of that.

Should they mow it with goats?

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Not punished, but can you really blame the government in London for not wanting to bend over backwards to help a region where a significant portion of the population has expressed, at the very least, a strong dislike for that government?

Well that's a very petty stance to take surely? It's not like you're talking about two neighbours who don't get along and then one suddenly asks to borrow the lawnmower.

A government exists for the sole purpose of running things in accordance with the wishes of the people they represent. They're supposed to respect their views and concerns and actually do something about them. If a government finds that a certain group of people that they're supposed to be working for feels disenfranchised with them then that should motivate them to do MORE for them, not less. It's a government that you pay for that exists to serve you, If you don't like them they don't get to choose to not like you back.

 

[JohannaK]

Well that's a very petty stance to take surely? It's not like you're talking about two neighbours who don't get along and then one suddenly asks to borrow the lawnmower.

A government exists for the sole purpose of running things in accordance with the wishes of the people they represent. They're supposed to respect their views and concerns and actually do something about them. If a government finds that a certain group of people that they're supposed to be working for feels disenfranchised with them then that should motivate them to do MORE for them, not less. It's a government that you pay for that exists to serve you, If you don't like them they don't get to choose to not like you back.

That is a really pretty view of what a government is. A democratic government sure exists to that purpose. However, it is unclear that the welfare or interests or the people should be the sole goal of any other kind of government. Indeed, a government that can exert its will by the force of arms will be more likely geared to satisfy the interests of the governor rather than those of the governed.

One could argue that the main purpose of governmental policies before the rise of a public sphere in the political realm were designed to make the same government sustainable in whichever condition it existed at the time.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

For all it's faults, I really don't think that UK government is some sort of military junta. I don't think it's going to bring down harsh sanctions on one of its rebellious "colonies" in order to crush the natives underfoot. It's not the 18th/19th century anymore.

Sure there's going to be some corruption and self-interest and pettiness in there somewhere, but I really don't think that the entire government as a whole is going to openly sanction punitive action on Scotland for daring to hold a referendum. I would be utterly astounded if that happened.

 

[JohannaK]

Oh, of course. I was merely pointing out to a restriction of the general character of your affirmation regarding the purpose and nature of government. That is, that as general as you made it out to be, it is only really applicable to democratic governments, and the UK is still one.

 

[Takhisis]

Ugh. Okay, the lines in the lawn piss me off, so I now support England over Scotland simply because of that.

Given that England as a legal entity includes Wales for most practical purposes, you can bet that siding with them means putting up with their sheep in your lawn. Think about it.

 

[gay_Aleks]

bhsup, if it makes you feel better, imagine that they're playing football on these lines.

 

[bhsup]

Balmoral is an English castle, though. Built by the English for the English. It just happens to be in Scotland.

To be super precise the guy who directed the construction of the castle was German. But we all know the English royals are Germans.

Yeah, but I bet ya anything that groundskeeper Willie is Scottish.

Should they mow it with goats?

bhsup, if it makes you feel better, imagine that they're playing football on these lines.

They're just so pretentious. I have a neighbor that does it and he makes a big deal about it and... it's stupid! It's grass. Mow it and let your dog crap in it.

 

[JohannaK]

I'm pretty sure the gardener has no real agency. He does his job as he's told to by the royals.

 

[Borachio]

They're just so pretentious. I have a neighbor that does it and he makes a big deal about it and... it's stupid! It's grass. Mow it and let your dog crap in it.

I quite like them. And all it means is that you've cut the lawn in the most efficient manner possible since the lines only appear as you mow up the lawn in one direction for one row, and down the lawn in the other direction. It's just caused by the roller of the mower pressing down the blades of grass, and in a day or two the grass springs back upright.

Still, I'm not bothered one way or another. It is a bit OCD.

I've a "friend" who treats hoovering the carpets in the same way.

As for grass just being grass... well, there's meadow grass, timothy, rye grasses (of various kinds), fescues (or various kinds), bentgrass, and of course the evil couch grass (which you don't want).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn

 

[Domen]

But we all know the English royals are Germans.

Actually in another thread I posted proofs that Elisabeth II has a few lines of ancestors derived from the Polish Piast dynasty.

Even as recently as 14 generations ago (last female Piast ancestor) or 15 generations ago (last male Piast ancestor).

This definitely legitimizes Polish immigration to the UK - they just come to a country ruled by Their Queen!

 

[Arakhor]

As I recall that thread, we more or less proved that she (like any other member of royalty) is pretty much related to any European crowned head of state that you care to name.

 

[Borachio]

Let's face it squarely: we're all pretty much* related to each other.

I find it curious how easily people disregard this, though. It involves a staggering ability to compartmentalize one's thoughts, imo. (Still, I daresay I do much the same sort of thing myself in other respects.)


*"pretty much" in the sense of absolutely.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Come on, in 1603, in Europe, everyone married as if they got +1% legitimacy every time they did. For all we know, Queen Elizabeth could be related to the Bavarian king or to the dear Habsburgs.

 

[Borachio]

As far as I know Queen Elizabeth is very closely related to both the Bavarian King and the Dear Habsburgs.