[Maru]

Originally Posted by Garfie

Yes, She lists herself as a climate activist but that’s surely something you pursue in your spare time, not a paid profession? I’m getting the impression she is one of those ‘do as I say and not as I do’ people. I thought it was a bit ironic that, as a climate activist, she is happy to pollute the air with her ciggie smoking!

I agree with MysticMock that she doesn’t understand how the Royal Family is funded. She also showed no awareness of the money they bring into the country through tourism, or the workforce that supports.

I’m not a massive Royalist, but I respect the monarchy as it is part of our history and heritage, and personally I think it is important to maintain our traditions, especially when they are such a draw to tourists from other countries.

In or near the DC metro area alone, the massive amounts of overemployment/federally contracted individuals—much of which are military-related—govt property—nor cultural or historical— and other "mixed interests", all to keep up the appearances of a "functional" govt. Even just what we pay to enable worldwide use of a perpetually overactive military here in the States more than overshadows what y'all pay into the system for the Monarchy. Something to consider...

At least the residents of the UK get an ROI in generally positive presentations across the world in some form. Our overspending doesn't even give us that credibility. I'd much rather pay to promote our history, rather than an endless stockpile of bombs, planes and misc equipment to go to countries where most people here can't even find it on a map... and that doesn't even include the other crap we fund...

I would say the Monarchy pays for itself in PR alone. Even if I don't "see the point" to a Monarchy in my own country, I see what it offers the UK in terms of traditions shared via a national identity. It's a cheaper way to do it than what the US has been doing over the past decade or so. Shared identity is very important, especially in nations that are multicultural in origin...