No 'Sir:' UK government denied Apple's Steve Jobs knighthood in 2009

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  • Reply 21 of 129
    seriously.
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  • Reply 22 of 129
    mrstepmrstep Posts: 542member
    OK, no knighthood... how about a Nobel Peace Prize?



    Just watching the prize go to Gore for AGW stuff, Obama before even waiting to see what he'd do in office, etc.... yow. And I'm not anti-O, just think the prize is a joke. On the other hand, why not Steve for his tireless work to remove the house that people were fighting him over? I'm sure we can come up with something good enough for the selection committee and stick it right back to those Labour politicians!
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  • Reply 22 of 129
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dr_lha View Post


    The Queen's role here, much like everything else she does, is entirely ceremonial. The list of those to be knighted are picked by the government, and handed to the Queen to dole out. She doesn't pick them herself.



    So one party feels snubbed and drops their proposal. And then the other side picks it up.



    OR the original party gets a new head and brings back the original idea
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  • Reply 24 of 129
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member
    Maybe someone needs to tell him (Brown) they (the Brits) lost (the Revolutionary War) and we (Americans) are no longer part of the British Empire.
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  • Reply 25 of 129
    drdbdrdb Posts: 99member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aplnub View Post


    Can any of the British on here please define the purpose of the Royal Family?



    We would if we could think of one.
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  • Reply 26 of 129
    monstrositymonstrosity Posts: 2,234member
    "because the Apple co-founder apparently turned down an invitation to speak at a Labour Party conference"



    I dont blame Steve! I wouldn't brush shoulders with that Gordon twit and his cronies either. Worst thing that ever happened to the UK.
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  • Reply 27 of 129
    drdbdrdb Posts: 99member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stuffe View Post


    History, heritage, tradition, the fact that we managed to keep our Monarchy and have them cede powers to parliament without needing a bloody revolution like we are seeing all over the world (less so these days, as there are less and less monarchies kicking around) should really make our system the envy of the world, not one for sneering at.



    You do realise we DID have a bloody revolution to get rid of them a few hundred years ago? Only trouble was within one generation they were back again.
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  • Reply 28 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2 cents View Post


    This is a plus in my book. Who needs a BS title from the queen mum?



    Indeed.



    "Jobs was apparently denied the honor because Brown and other officials reportedly felt snubbed by Jobs' absence."



    Just so we're 100% clear: This knighthood would not have been about acknowledging Jobs' actual accomplishments. It was all based on politics.



    (In case there was any doubt.)
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  • Reply 29 of 129
    stuffestuffe Posts: 398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drdb View Post


    You do realise we DID have a bloody revolution to get rid of them a few hundred years ago? Only trouble was within one generation they were back again.



    Name a country that hasn't had a Civil war. The point is that our system of Government is a direct result of the ruling Monarchy deliberately giving away their powers to form a democratic parliamentary system that the world copied. My history isn't exactly A-grade, but in essence that's what happened.



    The lot we have at the moment might only be Monarchy in name, but I for one would never choose to rid ourselves of them in any way. You wait, get the old sticklers out of the way in the next decade or so, wait for Charles to concede to Will, and watch the popularity rocket.



    Most peoples objection to the Royal Family is that they don't have to pay tax, and they receive (collectively) a £30m or so payout each year to keep the ticking over (The Civil List). Any other complaints are likely to not be grounded in any logical basis. I worked out the Civil List to cost the average (at todays prices and not counting for inflation from the past that we know about and future that we don't) person who works and pays taxes approx £35 over a lifetime. I've already have I think 3 days off work in my working career due to Royal Family related public holidays, and there's a glut coming soon to boot. And most of the major ones pay tax voluntarily too. Plus, when we get a REALLY irritating one, the Yanks are more than pleased to take her off our hands
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  • Reply 30 of 129
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aplnub View Post


    Can any of the British on here please define the purpose of the Royal Family?



    The role of Royalty is to be God's representative on Earth (that is the tradition anyway).
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  • Reply 31 of 129
    I wonder if an ensemble of 501s, trainers and turtle neck would have gone down well with the courtiers?
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  • Reply 32 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mister Snitch View Post


    Indeed.



    "Jobs was apparently denied the honor because Brown and other officials reportedly felt snubbed by Jobs' absence."



    Just so we're 100% clear: This knighthood would not have been about acknowledging Jobs' actual accomplishments. It was all based on politics.



    (In case there was any doubt.)



    And wasn?t the year this was suppose to happen, 2009, the same year Jobs was medical leave as a surviving cancer patient with deteriorating health unless he received a new liver? Unless being knighted gets you to the front of that list I think he cared less then than he does now.
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  • Reply 33 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stuffe View Post


    History, heritage, tradition, the fact that we managed to keep our Monarchy and have them cede powers to parliament without needing a bloody revolution like we are seeing all over the world (less so these days, as there are less and less monarchies kicking around) should really make our system the envy of the world, not one for sneering at.



    Because they are faced with generic scorn over their place in the world, many have had to re-invent themselves with charitable work which is genuinely quite useful, so while I think Prince Charles is a tit, I know he works hard for a lot of things that I respect, so I respect him in turn.



    Plus, they earn us a boatload of income from Japs and Septics, and we get a wedding/coronation/jubilee every few years for a bonus day off work. The Civil List is worth if FOR THAT ALONE - awesome value for money.



    Gee, I thought the 1600's in England were pretty bloody, with the English Civil War, Cromwell, and all that.
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  • Reply 34 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stuffe View Post


    Name a country that hasn't had a Civil war.



    Monaco. I’d estimate about half the world’s countries haven’t had a civil war. That doesnt’ mean they haven’t had civil unrest or overthrown the government, but I don’t that should be defined as a war.
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  • Reply 35 of 129
    panupanu Posts: 135member
    Whatever. So far as I'm concerned, Steve Jobs is, well, to all a good knight.
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  • Reply 36 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stuffe View Post


    History, heritage, tradition, the fact that we managed to keep our Monarchy and have them cede powers to parliament without needing a bloody revolution like we are seeing all over the world (less so these days, as there are less and less monarchies kicking around) should really make our system the envy of the world, not one for sneering at.



    Because they are faced with generic scorn over their place in the world, many have had to re-invent themselves with charitable work which is genuinely quite useful, so while I think Prince Charles is a tit, I know he works hard for a lot of things that I respect, so I respect him in turn.



    Plus, they earn us a boatload of income from Japs and Septics, and we get a wedding/coronation/jubilee every few years for a bonus day off work. The Civil List is worth if FOR THAT ALONE - awesome value for money.



    Wish he would work harder to keep his mouth shut. Prince Charle's comments on nanotechnology and alternative medicine are enough to put science back 50-100 years alone. He's a muppet, admit it.
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  • Reply 37 of 129
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrstep View Post


    OK, no knighthood... how about a Nobel Peace Prize?



    Just watching the prize go to Gore for AGW stuff, Obama before even waiting to see what he'd do in office, etc.... yow. And I'm not anti-O, just think the prize is a joke. On the other hand, why not Steve for his tireless work to remove the house that people were fighting him over? I'm sure we can come up with something good enough for the selection committee and stick it right back to those Labour politicians!



    Well they gave the nobel peace prize to Kissinger which was a supreme act of satire....
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  • Reply 38 of 129
    paulmjohnsonpaulmjohnson Posts: 1,380member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aplnub View Post


    Can any of the British on here please define the purpose of the Royal Family?



    Well, a lot of the Royal Family can not be explained (the minor royals), but the Queen is head of state. Whilst the Americans choose to elect a head of state, we still have a hereditary one, which is really more in keeping with a system that doesn't have a written constitution.



    In practice, the head of state in the UK (and indeed a lot of other countries) is purely a ceremonial role, and she doesn't have anything to do with the legislative process (though in theory she can block legislation, if she did, it would probably be curtains for the monarchy).



    They provide a great benefit to our tourist industry, and at times of national crisis, they do act as something the country can rally behind. To be honest, I'd rather at the time of crisis we had a non-partisan royal speaking for us than the sort of partisan bickering that goes on whenever the US President speaks, but that's a matter of personal preference.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kerryb View Post


    don't understand how you can be knighted by England's queen if you are not subject to her rule? Is this the UK's version of a Nobel prize? Can anyone explain this?



    Being a foreign citizen who gets a knighthood is similar to a foreign citizen being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (which Tony Blair, a man singularly unworthy of an award for honor) was given a few years ago. It's a way for a country to recognize the achievements of someone who has had an impact on their citizens, whether they are from that country or not.



    It's a shame this has had to immediately turn into a "my country is better than yours discussion". Knighting Steve Jobs would be a worthy way for the UK to note what he has done for technology, and it's a crying shame an idiot like Gordon Brown had to get in the way of it.
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  • Reply 39 of 129
    habanerohabanero Posts: 77member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stuffe View Post


    Name a country that hasn't had a Civil war.



    Canada
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  • Reply 40 of 129
    s4mb4s4mb4 Posts: 267member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    The role of Royalty is to be God's representative on Earth (that is the tradition anyway).



    which one?
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