Each year the cost of policing football matches in the UK so that spectators are safe costs millions of pounds Most of this is paid for out of the taxes paid by the British public, including those who have no interest in football.
Every year millions of pounds are given out as subsidies to the arts. All of this is paid for out of the taxes paid by the British public, including those who prefer to play darts in their local pub to visiting Tate Modern.
It is a marvellous thing to live in a country where people are prepared to give their money so that others may be happy even when the events paid for bring no happiness to themselves.
It's 5:15 a.m. here.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm awake and watching!
No one asks if we are prepared; they just take.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me very angry that we have no say in where our money goes.
The arts, football etc are fine with me, even though I loathe football, I can see the benefit for many.
But this wedding is a private matter being funded by public money; one of the richest families in Uk and one of the wealthiest in the world and they get US to pay.
No thank you. I'm off out to the forest. Tell me when its all over.
Viv
It doesn't look very private to me.
ReplyDeleteAs a spectacle I don't see much difference between this wedding and an opera, except that millions more people are getting pleasure out of it.
I watched the wedding also ... up at 5:30 a.m. Some day I do hope to get to England.
ReplyDeletenice kids.
ReplyDeleteYes, Counterlight. Adorable.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the many American tourists are helping pay the bills. I wonder if there was a charge for the media coverage. And how many extra people have been employed to take care of all the extra people plus the media coverage? A bit of happiness amid the terrible destruction by the weather here in the US.
ReplyDeleteI was awake and watching but I would have been awake anyway as I get up at 5am every day to go to work...
ReplyDeleteThe principle of Utilitarianism applies here I think - the greater good for the greatest number. Most of the nation seems to have enjoyed the spirit of the day.
ReplyDeleteThe entire concept seems to have been lost/forgotten in the colonies.
ReplyDeleteIs not tourism one of the two or three top items in the UK GDP? I suspect that someone in the government thinks the value spent is less than what will come in from the tourists. It may or may not be true.
ReplyDeleteFWIW
jimB
Earlier this week, William stated that he would personally have preferred to have gotten married in a small country church in Berkshire in front of a few friends. Having watched interviews today with his work colleagues it is my opinion that he is telling the truth here. It is also my opinion, simply by seeing William's face every time he looks at Kate, that there is something he would much rather be doing than behaving himself impeccably during hour upon tedious hour at all the official receptions and other duties today.
ReplyDeleteWe are not paying for this young couple to have the wedding of their dreams. We are paying for them to have the wedding of our dreams and insisting they go through it.
I completely agree, MP. Michelle Pfeifer was once asked about getting paid millions of dollars to act in movies...her reply was that she acts for free, she gets paid the money to deal with having to be a celebrity.
ReplyDeleteUp at two (under the volcano which repeatedly roared with delight early this morning)...yes, I agree, they are adorable, real life/live emotions do much to generate friendship internationally, a smile a glimpse, eye contact...a friend with whom I shared two trips to London in the last decade just telephoned me from the ¨States¨-- she wants us to GO TO THE U.K. again soon (last time we rented a wonderful studio apartment near Sloan Square for over a week)-- I´m ready and wish I were there today...this time Juan Carlos must join us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for relighting our adventurous spirit Will and Kate!
BTW: I think the ¨Lord Bishop of London¨ seemed to be intentionally speaking around people like me (and a few of the guests in the congregation)-- his smurky little ¨homily¨ seemed to preen with excluding language and heterosexual exclusivity.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it´s just me.
I thought it was great. Patrice
ReplyDeleteHi. I bet you can guess. Sulisia Ann
ReplyDeleteWatched live in '81 (beginning at 1AM in California).
ReplyDeleteThis one, I DVR'd. ;-/
[Hey, woman in the *front row*, w/ the crowd-periscope: hand it to someone behind you!]
[Yay, Blogger's fixed!]
Another way to look at it is that one cruise missile costs about 5 royal weddings.
ReplyDeleteIs not tourism one of the two or three top items in the UK GDP?
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is...I'm looking forward to the day when the Chinese just buy the entire country and turn it into one big theme park. Then we could have the royal wedding weekender at least once a month.
As Wallace said to Gromit - "A grand day out, lad. Now let's have a nice bit of cheese."
ReplyDeleteTheme, yours is the best commentary. Here in the US, we're going be a Chinese theme park, too, only on a larger scale than the English park.
ReplyDeleteThe wedding was wonderful royal pageantry, as only the English can do it. Of course, you've had centuries of practice.
I'm watching on The Royal Channel on YouTube, and the sounds from the crowds lining the streets is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, except I don't hear, "Throw me some beads!" and none of the women in the crowd seem to be bearing their breasts.
The Chinese have already turned Manhattan into a giant theme park, and now they're working on the outer boroughs.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, excellent point - both your post and your comments above.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pastor Joelle.
ReplyDeleteI saw wonderful snippets, but alas I had to work. I'll be hitting the Royal Channel in YouTube this weekend.
ReplyDeleteHowever, like when we stand in solidarity when a country that has experienced tragedy, we should also rejoice when a country celebrates: Today, we are all British.
RE: William behaving himself
ReplyDeletePsh. I don't blame him for not wanting to behave! She's hot!
One word struck me about the dress: Retro (Going back about 80 years---whereas Di went back a couple hundred which, ironically, made hers seem more modern)
ReplyDeleteKate's cute, but I honestly believe she needs a bit more meat on the bone (For marriage is often just the trick! Well, maybe not royal marriage)
@Len, knowing that it was the Bishop of London, I skipped over his sermon as I watched the stream on you tube. Of course it was exclusive heterosexist language.
ReplyDeleteTake care with those volcanoes!
It seems William, for all that he's a macho military man, has picked up some of the "Shy Di" thing - he seems quick to blush, for example, like Diana used to do.
ReplyDeleteHarry, on the other hand, seems to take after Andrew, of all people - very outgoing and charismatic and more than a little naughty.
Is this so?
he seems quick to blush, for example
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time in a very long time that people have looked at a royal couple and thought about sex. We sort of assumed that the other royals did it, I mean they had babies, but you had to suspend your disbelief to imagine it. But we all know exactly what William and Kate do to the pass the hours miles away from civilisation on Anglesey. And he knows we know. No wonder he keeps blushing. realising that every bloke you meet is thinking "You lucky bastard" is enough to make any young man, who isn't completely full of himself, blush.
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ReplyDelete