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Obamas Give Queen Elizabeth an iPod
Ponca City, We love you writes "What did the Obamas give Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday when they arrived at Buckingham Palace? An Obama aide reported the queen was given an iPod loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, as well as songs and accessories. She also received a rare songbook signed by the composer Richard Rodgers. The gift issue had come up after Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the White House last month. Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama a pen holder carved from the timber of an anti-slave ship, receiving in return a DVD box set of American movies, igniting a torrent of criticism in the British press. According to news reports, the queen gave the Obamas a silver-framed signed photograph — a gift she gives to all visiting dignitaries."
It seems kind of 'tarded to give a 70+ year old woman an ipod with a tiny screen filled with speeches she is very unlikely to agree with (not that he would even be aware of her political leanings.)
I would have given her a gift of pictures of her during the WW2 blitz on London, showing her changing tires and working along with the rest of the people under siege by the Germans and put this into a classy montage. I would want to honor her good qualities, and there is plenty out there. For one of the richest women in the world, I'm certain trinkets are not high on her shopping list.
Seriously, Obama is a sad amateur. Camacho was a smarter president.
...that the Region 1 DVD's didn't play in Brown's Region 2 player. On his next visit Obama will give him a modding kit.
Are there really not enough issues in the world to get worked up about that people are arguing over a freakin' gift exchange?
mmmm...forbidden donut
After all, would ANY government allow one of their top people to accept an electronic gift without it being checked to make sure it's not bugged? That would be a serious security lapse.
Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama a pen holder carved from the timber of an anti-slave ship, receiving in return a DVD box set of American movies, igniting a torrent of criticism in the British press.
Brown, commenting on the matter, said: "I've already downloaded most of these on the Pirate Bay."
"Anyone who [rips a CD] is probably engaging in copyright infringement." - David O. Carson
First, who cares who gave who what? Seriously? I mean, if you made a *major* boo-boo and gave Obama some racist memoribilia or something, then you're an idiot, but otherwise who cares? You're talking negotiations over the future of countries, anyone who reads anything into the gifts is clearly desperate for news or clearly focusing on the wrong things.
Have the governments of the two countries seriously got nothing else better to waste their money on than gifts for other nations? Sure, bring something along but keep it simple. A couple of bouquets for the missus and a bottle of special wine or something to enjoy over dinner one night. Anything else is asking for a cock-up because it'll have been made from the ship that X's father fought against in war Y or something. And, trust me, nobody British really cared what gift was received/given the last time the US president and the UK prime minister met. Nobody. The press obviously had nothing else better to report, or were feeling snubbed themselves. They don't even care that Churchill's bust was moved in the Whitehouse... really... we don't have American presidents lining 10 Downing Street, so why should the American's have anything similar? So long as it was done respectfully (i.e. they didn't kick it down the stairs after drawing a moustache on it), who cares?
Personally, I think the Queen's gift is the worst out of all those listed (in all the linked articles) anyway - it's too imperialist and overbearing... a signed photo... "Look, I have given you something cheap and readily available to remind you that you were once in my presence". Urk.
I just find it hilarious, it seems like the criticisms of the US personified.
"Here's a rare and incredibly symbolic gift, a pen case made with wood from anti-slave ships."-British
"lol heres 2 fast 2 furious" - US
It's been a long time.
I hope out of consideration for the rich history of British music that it included some of the classics...
like the Sex Pistols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen_(Sex_Pistols_song)
"Ah, Mr. Obama, I've been expecting you."
"You seem to be handling all the troubles in the world, right now. One more shouldn't be a problem for you, please accept my gift to you of Northern Ireland."
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Umm, no, he's making fun of how the royals pronounce vowels (the clue is RP = Received Pronunciation, look it up on wikipedia)
Or maybe IHBT...
Chief Lincoln of the Americas offers you Construction in return for Invention and 126 gold!
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
Britain has yet to seriously discuss reparations for the damage done to Africa from the profits they made in the slave trade.
And I seriously hope we never do, not because I agree with slavery, but because I disagree with being held accountable for something that someone did 200 years ago.
Well said, I have had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty, and I can tell you she is no simpleton. She is an intelligent witty person, who actually has a "can do" mind.
People forget that in WW2, she drove ambulances carrying injured people to the Hospital. She is a trained mechanic, and does actually know more about cars and engines than most normal people.
She even has a blackberry, which she uses to keep in touch with her grandchildren. Talking of Grandchildren, Remember Princess Beatrice once said "she is lucky to have a cool grandmother"
She is a charming, intelligent and lovely person, and one of the things that makes me as a Brit, feel proud.
God Bless you maam.
Have a nice day!
I see that you, along with all romantics, have entirely neglected the role that Africans themselves played in the slave trade. Slaves traded across the Atlantic were bought from African dealers. I have yet to see any Afro-Americans demanding apologies from Africans, let alone reparations.
Britain was one of the first nations to abolish this hideous practice (by democratic choice, not "force"), before any African nation did, and Britain did more than most to bring an end to it. Even after the Atlantic slave trade was brought to a halt by the British and later American navies, innocent Africans were being sold into slavery by Africans to Arabs. Yet still Britain seems to have the majority of the blame for the slave trade forced upon it. This seems deeply unfair to me.
All intents and purposes. Not intensive purposes.
Achievement Unlocked: "Posting Anti-America-Centric comment and mentioning that there are global readers that don't give a fuck!"
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She was on the allied side, despite the fact that her real surname is "Achtungschweinhund Hollenstollen Von Saxe-Koburg Gutenberg".
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I agree and since the British government is unwilling to make reparations I as a British citizen am more than happy to do so on their behalf.
Obviously all the people actually involved are dead now so there is nothing I can do for them so it's their ancestors I feel I must recompense.
I have a simple formula, all we need to do it work out the average yearly income of American African Americans and the average income of Africans to get a figure of how much worse off the African Americans are. Then multilply that by the average lifespan of an African American and the number of them who can prove their ancestors were slaves.
I'll accept payment in gold bullion.
I think from the context, we can figure out which one they mean. When you read a tabloid headline that says "Prince Charles Admits To Yet Another Fuck-up," do you actually have to wonder whether they're referring to Charles Stuart or Charles Windsor? Besides, saying "Elizabeth II" over and over again in headlines would appear even more stupid. "Elizabeth II to visit U.S." would elicit a collective response of "...as opposed to Elizabeth I, who has been dead for 400 years?" It would be a constant, and needless, distraction from the intended communication.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
It's not the gifts themselves that are the issue... it's the symbolism, if you will.
See, diplomacy is a game, of sorts, and it's heavily dependent on symbolism. Things like gift exchanges, summit meetings, state dinners, and all that are mostly useless from a practical standpoint... but it's part of the game. They're the rules; to be taken seriously you have to at least play along with them and pretend that you care. It's like Christmastime at the office; you go to the parties and you buy little gifts for each other, not because you really care about everyone or want to hang out with them, but because it smooths things over and is just part of office politics.
Obama's not playing by the rules. And while the gifts and all that aren't really a big deal, he's committing a diplomatic faux pas--toward his country's closest ally, no less. What makes this (and similar small diplomatic blunders) ironic, and what the European press is starting to make noise about, is that everyone thought Obama would be better at international relations than Bush. True, he has yet to start any wars; but flubbing even the basic, petty, easy stuff like state dinners and symbolic gift exchanges with your closest allies and your historical and powerful military/economic rivals (China and Russia) certainly isn't getting off on the right foot.
It's like the new guy showing up at the office Christmas party with PBR and dollar store gag gifts for the exchange when everyone else brought drinkable wine or liquor and a $15 gift... then cutting loose a giant fart and laughing loudly about it. Sure, it doesn't really affect business operations, it's just a stupid little party. But now everyone's looking at him kinda funny and thinking "hey, we thought he was cool, but this guy's a bit of an ass." In other words, it may not be harmful, but he certainly isn't doing us any favors.
The meek may inherit the earth, but the strong shall take the stars.
I don't even understand the controversy. 25 DVD's is a pretty damn good gift. Maybe the Brits don't understand that, in the U.S., giving exquisite gifts to politicians is a MAJOR no-no (unless you're Ted Stevens, of course). I'm surprised they even gave him that much. A U.S. politician couldn't accept anything in excess of $335 in value as a gift from a foreign leader.
It's pretty much standard here that diplomatic gifts aren't kept by the President; they're accepted on behalf of, and given over to, the American people. I'd imagine that it's pretty much the same in the UK; "suitcases full of cash and rare art" would be state-to-state gifts that just happen to be presented by/to individuals acting as representatives to their people.
Diplomatic gifts aren't really supposed to be personal anyways. The pen and case aren't for Obama to take home and use for paying his bills; they'll most likely be displayed for a little while, possibly used to sign some kind of treaty or trade agreement with the UK, and eventually filed away in a box somewhere. It might eventually go on display at whatever Presidential library Obama builds, but would remain the property of the United States and just be loaned to said library.
The meek may inherit the earth, but the strong shall take the stars.
Obmama didn't 'give her an iPod' at all.
Obama gave her a signed Rogers (Of Rogers and Hammerstein, who the queen loves,and considers the a song from Oklahoma her and her husbands 'song') songbook.
It was an absurdly good gift. Personal, and yet historic enough that it can be displayed with a bunch of other historic things.
He also gave her a bunch of footage of her trip here that was filmed. He presented this to her within a video iPod.
And everyone trying to make an issue of this is a giant moron.
If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
It was an iPod with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States. How thoughtless.
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck