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

I read somewhere on these boards that that is going to happen.

I say no.

It might well be the first state funeral where there is less than polite behaviour.. I know people who are planning parties.

I suppose it depends when it is she goes, and how the whole thing is spun...hasn't there already been stuff about her being in terrible pain for months?

is she dead??

Don't think so but as I said I read somewhere on these boards something about a state funeral being discussed. I have no idea why that has come up though.

dress rehersal for liz

Course she should. Small-minded people might think otherwise though.

street party as well

national wake

just don't tell the argies it might upset them

Prime ministers get a state funeral and she was a prime minister. Agree with her or not (and I'd happily dig a hole so deep I could hand her to Satan personally) she did the job and she gets accorded the respect and honour.

I'm not sure what good it does anyone to deny her it, apart from making people look staggeringly spiteful. I sometimes find myself wishing for a more American system of government, where citizens are encouraged to believe in government as something positive, as a statement about who we are as a people. Yes, the system is flawed, yes some people take the mickey, but there are worse things than our style of government (like, off the top of my head, Zimbabwe's).

This isn't me taking a swipe Effers but your tone of constant cynicism, "I know better than to be fooled by that gang of liars" spiel rubs me up the wrong way. I believe in democracy, I believe open debate with our peers and having the occasional bit of faith in our leaders is a good thing. I don't think that closing down dialogue by claiming everyone lies, or that because you disagree with someone they should be disregarded, is a good thing

So yeah, give her the funeral: she might have been a evil [expletive deleted] but she did the job for longer than anyone else in the modern era, it's not like it's an easy job and she deserves her place in history.

I can't see any reason why she should. Perhaps if I had a larger mind I would.

>>Prime ministers get a state funeral

No they don't.

""Prime ministers get a state funeral and she was a prime minister.""

no they dont

churchill got one for his service during the war, that was the last PM state funeral

harold wilson didn't get one!!

>Prime ministers get a state funeral and she was a prime minister.<

Monarchs get a state funeral as they are Head of State.

The only other PM in living memory was Churchill which I applaud.

I thought PMs get one as a matter of course. Oh well, she can whistle for it then.

Please disregard everything I said in my post - well apart from the anti-cynicism bit, that still stands.

she should be cremated and her ashes flown down south and scattered on tumbledown

You recently told me that you were very expert in all constitutional matters because of your degree in politics. Can't believe you didn't know that.

now, now children....play nice!!!!

That's not politics, it's custom and tradition. Meh, I made a mistake I'm not going to lose sleep over it - best to just admit it and get it over with.

For the record Effers, I didn't claim I was an expert in all constitutional matters, I just said I know how laws are made. Which I do. And you don't.

i said play nice, or, i'll smack both of you'es legs

I seem to remember you giving me a lecture on consitutional matters in regards to the monarch's position of inviting someone to form a government and then we had a debate about the legal position of the royal prerogative.

But yes I'm sure you know lots and lots about how laws are made...but you think it's normal for a PM to get a state funeral

Okay okay

>>I seem to remember you giving me a lecture on consitutional matters in regards to the monarch's position of inviting someone to form a government and then we had a debate about the legal position of the royal prerogative.<<

Yes, which is actually politics. Disposing of a dead body isn't. Debate's too strong a word though: I was right, you prattled nonsense until I proved I was right and then you gracelessly withdrew.

>>But yes I'm sure you know lots and lots about how laws are made...but you think it's normal for a PM to get a state funeral<<

I know, how silly of me to have my priorities so skewed: imagine knowing more about how I'm actually governed than the funereal traditions of PMs. I don't know what I was thinking

Effers sweetie, you're starting down a bad, bad path. If you're going to make this much of a scene when I make a simple mistake, then I'll start doing the same with you. Trust me, I'll be much more than you.