Queen agrees to meet IRA Commander

[Alt+F4]

Think about what?

Think about what it's like to be 86, even with billions of pounds at your disposal and servants to take care of your every need. My favorite photo of Liz was her during WWII, a teenager driving an army truck. Next, her holding her precious first baby. Every great opinion she gave to all her PMs (and I know there were many) is not the life she lives now. If you really want to believe at 86 that she is still the same woman she was when she had Wilson or Thatcher's ear, please do...you are wrong.

 

[Darat]

I look forward to seeing your evidence that she is a doddering old lady who doesn't know her own mind any longer. Perhaps your personal experiences with elderly people are not universal?

 

[Alt+F4]

I look forward to seeing your evidence that she is a doddering old lady who doesn't know her own mind any longer. Perhaps your personal experiences with elderly people are not universal?

I recently heard that Universal Studios is making a Wonder Woman movie, perhaps Liz can star as the lead. I never said that she didn't know her mind any longer. I just said she is 86 and with being 86 comes with 86 years of living. If you want to continue to believe that she is still the cute teenager driving that army truck in 1944, please do. If you believe she is giving Cameron anything other than the wisdom of age please present that evidence.

 

[Damien Evans]

My dad died at 82, my mom at 88...both after prolonged decline and illness, so yeah I do. So what's your point?

That you're completely wrong.


ETA: At 86, my great gran was helping little old ladies cross the road. In some cases they were years younger than her.

 

[Craig B]

I don't think the Queen's gone gaga. As for her Consort, how would they know?

 

[angrysoba]

I don't think the Queen's gone gaga. As for her Consort, how would they know?

Presumably when he starts asking people to vet his public statements before blurting them out.

And, yes, I agree with you that the Queen still has her marbles even if she has to go around shaking hands with people she despises because some insipid politicians (who she also probably depsises) have told her to.

She's got her mum's genes so she'll probably be around for quite a while.

 

[Darat]

I recently heard that Universal Studios is making a Wonder Woman movie, perhaps Liz can star as the lead. I never said that she didn't know her mind any longer. I just said she is 86 and with being 86 comes with 86 years of living. If you want to continue to believe that she is still the cute teenager driving that army truck in 1944, please do. If you believe she is giving Cameron anything other than the wisdom of age please present that evidence.

You do know that is called a strawman i.e. making up a position for someone (that they have not taken) and then arguing against it?

 

[Darat]

That you're completely wrong.


ETA: At 86, my great gran was helping little old ladies cross the road. In some cases they were years younger than her.

Sounds like my grandmother. When my 82 year old 4' 11" grandmother was asked for directions to a small trading estate by an articulated truck driver, her reply was that it was virtually in front of where she lived so if he gave her a lift she'd give him directions. He agreed so she climbed up into the cab and directed him.

My grandmother was frailer in her early 80s then she was in her 70s but her mind and spirit remained undimmed until her death.

 

[Craig B]

Presumably when he starts asking people to vet his public statements before blurting them out.

And, yes, I agree with you that the Queen still has her marbles even if she has to go around shaking hands with people she despises because some insipid politicians (who she also probably depsises) have told her to.

She's got her mum's genes so she'll probably be around for quite a while.

The insipid politicians are right. Dynastic consideration mustn't be allowed to override political initiatives conducted by elected governments.

 

[angrysoba]

The insipid politicians are right. Dynastic consideration mustn't be allowed to override political initiatives conducted by elected governments.

Yes, she should have no say in the political initiatives themselves. She probably doesn't enjoy being used as one though.

 

[Howie Felterbush]

If only the Queen had seen Mallrats; she could have stinkpalmed him.

 

[Seismosaurus]

How do you know anything of this kind happened?

I don't know that it did, and didn't suggest that it did. I stated that if the Queen genuinely didn't want this meeting, then it would be a foolish PM who forced her.

The Queen may not be a ruler in any real sense, but nor is she an underling to simply be ordered around without regard for her personal feelings. It's absurd to think that any PM would simply say "You're going to do this, and if you don't like it that's tough luck." Not least because, in the highly unlikely event that she did take a public stand on this, the political damage it would do to the PM would be far, far greater than anything it would do to her.

 

[Brainster]

She's meeting the Deputy First minister of Northern Ireland, which is a public duty. She has met all manner of people in this capacity, whatever her opinions of them may be on a personal level. This meeting is probably useful. The Northern Ireland peace process has held quite well. Heaven knows, real change in NI is both belated and desperately needed.

But what possessed the IRA ever to mount a bombing campaign against civilian targets is something I will never understand. It was not merely criminal, but insane.

They weren't called the RAfia for nothing.