yellowdingo |
In an act of self preservation the monarchy are looking to give out knighthoods like candy.
Peasent Duckington the III |
I'm not sure how I feel about this.
I respect it as a crafty move to counter the drift away from our the Commonwealth over the past few decades, but I think the days of Australians holding British titles is behind us.
As a country we're mature enough to not have England define who we are. But when I think about it, I can't come up with anything else that defines Australia other than a willingness to be cannon fodder.
One day we'll find our own voice, but yesterday's decision pushes that day further into the future.
yellowdingo |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm not sure how I feel about this.
I respect it as a crafty move to counter the drift away from our the Commonwealth over the past few decades, but I think the days of Australians holding British titles is behind us.As a country we're mature enough to not have England define who we are. But when I think about it, I can't come up with anything else that defines Australia other than a willingness to be cannon fodder.
One day we'll find our own voice, but yesterday's decision pushes that day further into the future.
I could go for 'knight of the commonwealth' but I believe it should be given out to folks who greatly sacrificed themselves for others like this guy my dad knew who leapt the fence into a cattle yard to rescue a baby who ran through the railings to see the animals only to himself be trampled and spend the rest of his life as a paraplegic. Its not the sort of thing that should go to friends of the prime minister.
Peasent Duckington the III |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I used to think that it'd be cool to be knighted because then people would address me as "Sir". Eventually, I realized that I could get that treatment without being knighted, I just need to grow old and at that point I'll be hearing it so much that'll I'll be sick of it.
I just want someone to call me sir, and not add "you're making a scene"
Orfamay Quest |
I could go for 'knight of the commonwealth' but I believe it should be given out to folks who greatly sacrificed themselves for others like this guy my dad knew who leapt the fence into a cattle yard to rescue a baby who ran through the railings to see the animals only to himself be trampled and spend the rest of his life as a paraplegic. Its not the sort of thing that should go to friends of the prime minister.
Meh. I'd like to think that you can earn a knighthood by other ways than doing something stupid and dangerous. A Nobel Laureate (e.g., Brian Schmidt) should get a knighthood more or less automatically.
The problem is that, outside the relatively rarified air of academia, anyone who does anything worthwhile will earn the PM's friendship in the process of doing it. For example, if you manage to actually launch any of your damnfool schemes and thereby bring about the Golden Age of the World, you'll certainly merit a knighthood. But you'll also need to work through and with national governments to accomplish that, which means you'll need to know, work with, and befriend not just the current PM but probably the next three,.... and probably half the administrators of the rest of the world.
Bill Gates, for example, is a friend to half the world's leaders, by sheer virtue of necessity. He's also a knight (Knight Commander of the British Empire, awarded 2004). If you think he was awarded that because he was Tony Blair's friend,.... think again.