The Queen shot with OM1

[andrew robertson]

"I can think of a lot worse value for money - a politician ( whose brief covers the

environment ) taking 106 RAF flights in less than 2 years seems a good example."

 

Oh man. Your British MPs are amateurs compared to American elected representatives. We

have a whole system of ways to legally bribe people over here, from 'campaign

contributions' to luxury world tours for generals paid for by defense contractors. I'm sure

everybody knows about the MS Windows / US Navy battleship fiasco by now. And then

there's Halliburton and the Carlyle Group.

[frank_oddsocks]

"They cost us 37 million quid a year" - works out at about 50p each."

 

This is entirely the wrong way to look at it. If you had 37 megasquids to give away, would

it be to the Windsors? I thought not.

 

There is also the question of the respect the UK loses for keeping these people around.

Can't you pass another Act of Succession and make Billy Connolly the heir apparent?

[bill_thorlin]

Perfectly valid way to look at it if you put it in perspective. If I had billions a year to give away would I spend them on a "war" and incur over 100 deaths as well. I think not. I would contend we get some value from the first and a negative value from the latter.

 

I can only wonder at the cost of "government" ..........

 

The UK is not the only country with a constitutional monarchy and there is one which abolished it only to reinstate it again later. Still, I suppose they are all daft !

[alex_kinnan]

"If you had 37 megasquids to give away, would it be to the Windsors?"

 

Probably. I'm American, but I, and many people I know, think the monarchy is a pretty big part of what makes the UK and Commonwealth appealing to us. I think there's a charm in having a relatively weak, yet high profile monarchy that you can't really put a price on. It makes a country a little less bland.

 

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if there were ever violence in the UK to determine the fate of the monarchy, I would, if I were in a position to, go over there to fight on the Royalist side. To keep this topical, I would bring my Olympus XA along to document it. And maybe an XA2, as zone focussing might be better suited to the chaos of battle.

 

If I survived, and the monarchy did too, then I could only hope to take such a lovely portrait of the Queen -- really an excellent one, I think; warm and flattering. One of those portraits that is impressive for reasons which are hard to define. Nice to see an old Olympus (really only 34 years old, I think) AND 35mm film still making their presence felt.

[basscheffers]

I think any Royal Family is good value, wether my adoptive Windsor's or the Oranjes of my

home country. They are the best PR you can get. True, the media makes fools of them,

even in other countries, but when they go traveling, boy do they impress the heck out of

other goverment officials and heads of industry and deals get done. ﾣ37M a year is a

bargain for what they get the country in return.

 

And as for the media now going all berko over MPs using the Queen's Flight, I hope

nobody tells them how many military transport planes fly empty here there and

everywhere all day every day just so crews can keep their training up. Might as well use

them to transport something!

[bill_thorlin]

Kind thoughts Alex from across the pond and an ex-colony to boot :)

 

 

Most of the politicos are excess baggage and the cargo hold seems an appropriate place - good thinking Bas :)