Spread the word - Everyone should turn down being knighted

[ck4829]

Now that a guy who helped make the case for war in Iraq is about to get knighted, I know that if I was British I would turn it down, how about you?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2669813&mesg_id=2669813

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Hell, I'd take it, if offered.

C'uz, if they give it to me, it would be proof that they'd give it to anybody. :-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Hitler breathed oxygen. I say we all refuse to breathe oxygen.

Oh, wait - I've actually achieved emotional maturity. Never mind.

:eyes:

[Poll_Blind]

3. But I was knighted, like, six weeks ago and I already worked it...

...into the family crest! The embroidery fees alone...

  Seriously though, I think titles of nobility are shit. They are reminders of colonialism, Imperialism, patrilineal (sp?) dynasties and at least a couple of other concepts that seem harmless in today's world but I find deeply abhorrent.

PB

[Glorfindel]

5. "Abhorrent"? Geez, I don't know...

I think the concept of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Mick Jagger, and Sir Elton John is pretty cool. Even the ferocious Scottish nationalist, Sir Sean Connery, said receiving his knighthood was the greatest honor of his life. :hi:

[sillyphoenix]

6. you forgot one!

Sir Bono just got knighted too :D

[Poll_Blind]

9. I just don't like titles of nobility. I'm against what they stand for.

  I think it's cool that all those guys are recognized in some way, they deserve recognition. I just find titles of nobility distasteful. As I said, now days titles of nobility are sort of like trophy-awards, especially for Americans. A knighthood, to borrow from the succinctness of Wikipedia, is a position in the Order of the British Empire and specifically "express the greatness of the recipient's achievements in the eyes of the Crown."

  If it were an award put to some vote, like the Nobel Peace prize or the a Grammy, I look at it differently than a position dispensed solely at the whim of the sitting British monarch. I don't like monarchs at all.

  I think it's fair to say that we are viewing a knighthood from two different perspectives. I think you view it from a, current, culturally-watered-down standpoint where it is merely a neat award. And from that standpoint I agree. I think lots of people, including myself, would think it's neat to be singled out in some way for our deeds in a manner (being knighted) which evokes all our American cultural imagery of knights- who wouldn't?

  But what it is viewed as now is not what it originated as- as another way of a controlling ruling class to enforce the worth of a person in a kingdom by giving a title which showed current favor with a monarch. As I said, I don't like monarchs at all. Heredetary rulership is disgusting and Americans died fighting for their independence from it. And from that standpoint I don't favor it, find it repulsive. All men are created equal.


PB

[Pharaoh]

4. And tenet and those other

worthless fucks (who's names escape me at the moment) got the medal of Freedom,

Just goes to show you how insane it's all gotten.

[itsmesgd]

7. I'd take the knighthood, simply for the cool business cards

[originalpckelly]

8. Bad reason, the much better reason is that a monarchy is a fundamentally...

undemocratic system, where the common people are always treated as second class citizens.

Because of that, the queen of England, cannot be the "fount of honor".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fount_of_honor

[Nikki Stone1]

10. Thank you. We left the monarchal system in 1776 for a reason

:patriot: