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ENGLAND PLEASE THIS IS THE 21 CENTURY NOT THE 17TH ANYMORE.
ENGLAND: THE HOME OF DRAGONS, FAIRY TALES AND FOG.
Seen from outside your country, the accepted images of England are
incredibly narrow. Oxbridge, Eton, Henley, Royal Ascot, the Trooping of the
Colour: these are still the things that matter. Seen from the Americans, we
carry around a aristocratic idea of the "real" England, of which those
occasions are just the public face. Americans can cast themselves as
consumers with enthusiasm because they have prior identity as democrats and
republicans. They own their own country and express their ownership in a
simple pride in "being an American" (which the English typically never
understand but view as boasting or "bad taste").
The values of the so called elite, epitomized by the Royal Family, continue
to percolate through British life causing the problems we are only too
familiar with here in the US. The bias against trade and industry; the
neglect of science; the preference for tradition and the past; the cult of
the amateur; the pyramid structure of education; the penchant for treating
workers as servants; the rentier mentality and the attractions of
manipulating money rather than of production etc., etc. Nor can we omit the
over-concentration of talent and resources in the media, in criticism and
presentation rather than in making and doing. Although I still love THE
HOLY GRAIL, now thats funny stuff. I think your pretty good spellers as
well. Wahoo, have some tea and biscuits on me.........
Robert
At 06:34 PM 11/17/00 +0000, Michael Stewart wrote:
>some humour to round off the week -
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>HER MAJESTY HAS SPOKEN
>
>HEAR YE HEAR YE
>
>NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE
>
>To the citizens of the United States of America:
>
>In the light of your failure to elect anybody as President of the USA
>and thus to govern yourselves and, by extension, the freeworld, we hereby
>give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.
>
>Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchial duties
>over all states, commonwealths and other territories including New Jersey.
>
>To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, please comply
>with the following acts:
>
>1. Look up "revocation" in the now official Oxford Dictionary ($75.00).
>Start spelling English words correctly.
>
>2. Learn at least the first 4 lines of "God Save The Queen"
>
>3. Start referring to "soccer" as football
>
>4. Declare war on Quebec and France
>
>5. Arrest Mel Gibson for treason
>
>6. Close down the NFL. Learn to play rugby
>
>7. Enjoy warm flat beer and steak and kidney pudding. Train waitresses
>to be more aggressive with customers and not to tell you their names before
>you eat.
>
>8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday, this has been replaced with
>November 5th. [Guy Fawkes Day]
>
>9. All members of this British Crown Dependency will be required to take
>6 weeks annual vacation and observe statutory tea breaks.
>
>10. Driving on the left is now compulsory - recall all cars to effect
>the change immediately.
>
>11. Report to our Consulate General in NY - M Wragg - for your new
> passport and job allocation.
>
>12. Have Meg Ryan report to the Prince Andrews Bedchamber.
>
>13. Add the Royal insignia to the top of the Washington Monument - and
>the Queens Christmas speeches to the Lincoln Memorial.
>
>14. Stop referring to the World Series of Baseball and instead call it
>the National Series of USA, Cuba and Japan.
>
>15.Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to
>ensure the acquisiton of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).
>
>Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day!
>
>Her Majesty's Government, Whitehall, London W1.
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