h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great article. I guess the saying "The Sun never sets on the British Empire" is still true. Our empire is vast - populating Britain (until true devolution), Gibraltar, St. Helena, erm...British Virgin Islands...err...I think that covers it .
Amazing we still get OBEs and MBEs - Order of the British Empire? hmmm.

Sooner or later, the British Empire will be reduced to London and a mobile fish and chip van in Carlisle somewhere. Order of the British Empire is a slightly silly title: the British Empire nowadays couldn't order a takeaway...

It's even a bit inaccurate to call it the "British Empire" - I'm sure that the Welsh, Scots and Cornish would have something to say about this .... what about the "English Empire"?

We in Australia have just had the embarrassment of a referendum during which ALL the opinion polls showed that 2/3 of Aussies wanted a republic, yet we voted it down due to bickering about what type of republic. The Empire lives on ... yes?

I think you may have it a little backwards...the Welsh, Scottish, Cornish, etc. would most likely prefer "British Empire," since "British" refers to the ENTIRE isle, whereas "English" refers just to the section of Britain called "England," just as other sections are called "Scotland" and "Wales."

I thought that that vote was purely cosmetic anyway: the royal family has no power in England, let alone Australia.

The queen does have power but has not used it for quite a while. The last major action she did was revoke Harrold Willson's election win and tell his Conservative opposite to form a government.
Now she does not use this power but she still soaks up a lot of money. (Do NOT use "She attracts tourism" as an argument for her). It is about time we get a full democracy and abolish the monarchy. Tony fills her place perfectly .

Actually, what I meant by the "English Empire" bit was that the impetus for colonisation and repression and all those bad things derived from London, not from the other parts of the island which had in their turn been repressed by the English. I am aware that England is only a bit of the island of Britain ... which is why the Scots and Welsh will tolerate being called British, but never English.

Re: the republic in Australia ... it was a bit more than cosmetic. The issue was largely that most people want to be able to have an Australian as head of state. The Queen - pleasant though I'm sure she is - is a POM (horrors!)

As for the role being ceremonial ... ask Gough Whitlam about that: he was sacked as prime minister by the Queen's representative, the governor-general in 1975. The G-G actually has more power (potentially) in Australia than the Queen does in England, I suspect (the so-called reserve powers). So, the issue with the republic was rather complex.

When I said 'She has no power', I kind of meant that if she used the power she has, and it annoyed the government and/or the people, she'd be out on her posh, perfumed posterior in five seconds flat.

She is a drain, and should possibly be paid an Ambassador's wage, but nothing more.

The basic question for me is 'Do we really want a full democracy'. Obviously, it's nice for people to have the vote, but you're lucky if you get a 60% turnout at elections in the UK, implying that a lot of people just don't care who rules them. Pop along to my page, and read my alternative (entitled 'Intelligarchy').

The queen is great and stands for us as a nation. Besides who cares about money you're such a fascist etc...
But the real reason we should like the queen is that she fights crime in and around London, saving hundreds of lives. Would you get rid of Batman if he was the monarch? No, I thought not. Same difference. Perhaps.

I don't think the queen is great - just an old bat. She does NOT stand for me or anyone I know. I really hope she is not the image for Britain - old, worn out and out-of-touch.
What do you mean "Besides who cares about money you're such a fascist etc..."? Who cares about money - 95% of Britain. And who's a facist?

If we directed all the money currently going to the monarchy to the police who would make a better crime fighter?
Batman does not soak up as much money as the queen. In fact, isn't he doing it free of any fiscal demands?

I have to side with you on that one. Ambassador's wage and no more. Oh, and we execute her husband.

Oh at last! People who agrees with me! Sack the lot of 'em! John (my hubby) thinks the royal family are great and tries to argue with me that I should like Charles as he's into organic farming and "green". Anyone who get their kicks out of perpetuating hunting should have their heads examined, never mind be made king with heaps of dosh to boot!

Also, I think Tony Blair shouldn't be President ..... (yeugh!). Let's have President Betty Boothroyde or even Tony Benn...or better still (I'm getting carried away here) someone from the Green Party!

Green Party? Are you quite serious?

Mind you, picking a President would be quite difficult... I would suggest holding an election, which was mentioned only on the news, and nowhere else. That way, only responsible people (ie. the sort of people who wear carpet slippers) would vote, providing a reasonably sensible result.

But think of the lack of tabloid stories there would be without a monarchy? Truly a tragedy.

What I would do to annihilate the tabloids - oh how I loath them, especially the Murdoch ones. EVIL! Their all bloody thatcherite and LOVE the beef war - who was it, Daily Star? that did that list of why the French are stupid. One of the reasons is "They use km on their road signs to make their country look bigger." - come on! All they do is talk bulls**t glorifying their owner and coming up with stupid punful (sorry for the pun) titles. I bet the average IQ would double if they were disposed of.

I think he's got it right as I don't think the Scots & Welsh want to be related to an Empire or to the monarchy.

I think the beef war is just like methadone for the sort of people who dream of being in the TA: it gives them something to think about while they plan their invasion...

I hat the daily mail more though.
It acts so goddamn righteous, and pretends its a real paper like the Times or the Independent but itnot and its crap. So thod off Mr Daily Mail orr A shall tornt yoo a seccund tam.

I think that all papers should be scrapped, we don't need them anymore with TV and Radio and the info they do give us (if any) is almost always lies or always lies depending on the paper.

(PS- whats the spaceship thing on you page WOW)