Linking park?? Seriously? Do they make music? Crap

Yes, but you answered your question yourself. The Cromwell regime was the last “bloody”-revolution on British soil. And Cromwell could only keep his position on for 12 years, after which the monarchy was restored. British history is totally different from continental history on the issue of democracy, because it’s more of an evolution rather than a revolution. As for the Royal family, you are right ofcourse.

Fact is, after 1688, when England and Holland were ruled by the same king/president (Willem of Orange), lots of democratic measures were taken. England and later the UK had a parliamentiary monarchy long before the rest of the continent. Actually a parliament was seen as something old, unrevolutionary, medieval, even useless by most of the other European powers. At that time, absolutism (ancien regime) was very popular: the authoritarian (France) or enlightened (Prussia, Austria) version.

Actually a very interresting topic. History proves that democracy can’t be “installed” after a revolution (lets say a “war”). It took England almost 800 years to become one (1215, Magna Charta till now), the US 220 years etc. And now everyone is expecting Iraq to become a democracy in just a couple of years, no, hell, even months.

Originally posted by Hand87_5
You have a lot of emotions you guys in the UK , Spain , Belgium , Denmark, NL etc with your royal family.
We don’t have this problem here after a good use of the guillotine 2 centuries ago 😀
However I have to admit that we do have even worse : politicians !!!

Aaah, la guillotine. :p The troubles concerning the French Revolution (dictatorship of Robbespiere and Napoleon), made countries like Belgium opt for a Royal family. In fact, most countries formed in the 19th century (Belgium, Germany, Italy) chose for monarchy, instead of the presidential regimes (US, France) set up in the 18th century. Maybe, one day, the Bourbons will be in charge again. Compare this with the stable British politics, where “democracy” was introduced 100 years earlier, with a bloodles revolution. I’m more and more beginning to appreciate the Anglo-Saxon system of politics.

Problem with French politics, a remainder of the 1789-Revolution, is that there’s a huge difference between the different philisophies (liberalism, conservatism and nationalism, later also socialism) and hence, a gov’t can never be so stable when in a coalition.

Agree with Keltic that a Royal Family, though not democratic in theory, makes things a lot more easy.

Well if I had one last week to live i probably get drunk in the nearest bar, after which I’ll accidently or on purpuse, get hit by a train/car/747 😀

Belgian beachboy !!! 😉

Talking about gender or sex? A Sex is what we are biologically spoken, but a “gender” is how we behave ourselves: macho or sissy !! 😀

A question that’s bothering me for quite some time now. Do women want a macho, or a tender, sweet-loving crybaby?!

Guess who?

Homer ofcourse

Would really like to have the “European nationality”. Today I got myself a new international passport, with EU-markings on it. Feels good to have some sort of EU-identity card.

Eating waffles hu … I think that will make me an ideal target for both Palestinians and Israeli’s :D. At least they could do something together, clear me out of the way.

The other day I was watching Independence Day on TV. Had a few laughs when I saw an Israeli and Iraqi pilots brotherly fighting together against the aliens.