It's reached the point in the primary where the Canadian says....

[HEyHEY]

"PICK A FUCKING CANDIDATE ALREADY!" You know how much US tv we get up here? Shit, man it's getting annoying. We hold entire elections in a monthf for fuck sakes. Is all this really neccesary?

[Kutjara]

1. An expat Brit seconds that.

The UK takes a similar amount of time as Canada (for some historical reason or other). Short, sharp, unpleasant and over in 30 days. This year long beauty pageant is beyond annoying.

[cbayer]

2. You United Kingdom, or Commonwealth, or British Empire people

or whatever it is you call yourselves

HAVE A MONARCH! Who can dissolve your governments on a whim.

Huge apology in advance to Mr. cbayer (because he trolls these threads) - my husband is British and I love him more than any human on earth.

[HEyHEY]

3. What does that have to do with a six month primary?

[cbayer]

5. Nothing at all. I was just trying to rile you.

I love to do that.

No harm meant. I just have this conversation with Mr. cbayer every day and thought I might kick it up with somebody else.

[HEyHEY]

6. h, I thought you were trying to say

the primary had to be long for some reason

[cbayer]

8. No, I was just blindly defending our system.

Mr. cbayer is a fierce British loyalist (he would deny that) and we have these "discussions" on a daily basis.

It often drags me into the dirt and I say things I don't really mean.

[Kutjara]

4. Only if the monarch doesn't want to be monarch any more.

The monarch is basically just the mouthpiece of the government. She does as she's told and gets to live in the nice house at the end of The Mall.

All the "dissolution of Parliament" by the Queen stuff is just a historical holdover, a nod to "tradition."

Having said that, the House of Lords is a travesty, long past due for elimination.

[cbayer]

7. Well, my brit husband says that is not true.

The Governor General, representing the Queen, dissolved the Australian Parliament in November, 1975.

It was called "the dismissal". She (or he) has the ability to do this and the Queen kept her throne.

And don't get me started on the House of Lords!

I would much rather go through a 2 year primary than have people gain power by birthright.

[Kutjara]

9. It's not really "The Queen" doing it.

Elizabeth Windsor probably couldn't care less what the Government does. However, she is the instrument by which the UK government exercises power over those countries over which it still has influence. When "The Crown" (literally, the monarch and her ministers) decide to do something, it's the monarch who reads the speech making it so. In actuality, the decision has been made by The Privy Council, the government, and the senior civil servants responsible for the department or country in question.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if she tried that stunt with Australia today. Republican sentiment runs high Down Under these days, and it wouldn't take much for the country to declare independence.

[cbayer]

11. Mr. cbayer says you need a nice cup of tea.

He says Australia is not a very advanced country, "a bit of a backwater", "sort of a cultural wasteland".

He says that if they don't want a monarch, leave them to wallow in their own detritus.

I am just quoting him here.

[Kutjara]

13. He is essentially correct.

Bunch of criminals and ne'er-do-wells, the lot of 'em. But Britain needs to hang onto the place, if only because of all the uranium. We have to make sure we have plenty of nukes in case the French or Germans get uppity again.

Is that chorus of "Pomp and Circumstance" I can hear real, or just in my head?

[ghostsofgiants]

10. I can't even take it seriously, at this point.

It's just so ridiculous for so many reasons.

[Omphaloskepsis]

18. Dude, I live here and it is a fucking joke.

[CreekDog]

12. It takes a long time for us to hold elections in all those states that don't count

:shrug:

[krispos42]

14. We're exportting democracy!

It is our fondest wish that one day you'll overthrow your foreign queen and institute some form of representative government, just like we did! We're just prodding you a little, that's all.

:evilgrin:

[JVS]

15. hoping for a knockout blow in 6 weeks

[CreekDog]

16. Sorry, I know you don't have a horse in this race

[MissHoneychurch]

17. My thoughts exactly

as exciting as find this it starts to get tiresome ... and I don't get nearly as much American TV here in Germany ....

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. I know how you feel - I watched "Titanic"

and wanted to yell "SINK ALREADY!"

I think that movie lasted six months, or at least it felt that way.

Back on topic, I don't have an answer to the interminable primary process polluting your television. Tivo maybe? That's what I use to avoid the nonsense spewed on our news.

:hi:

[hunter]

20. It's like professional wrestling, except it's fake.

[applegrove]

21. Another Canadian thirds that. This is turning into silly season.