Earlier this week I saw the film of our President toasting the Queen of England.
I've also seen reports that he committed a gaffe by toasting her while the God Save the Queen theme song was playing.
That was not a gaffe. We are not a country so steeped in archaic tradition that we cannot be natural, normal and spontaneous. Why should he have known better? That's their drummer, not ours.
I would think that a Queen, a queen of a country that used to call itself an empire (does it still?),would have the good grace to have eased whatever embarrassment a lesser man might have felt in not being "up" on the etiquette of that constipated society.
Standing there holding her stupid pocketbook like a bag lady, she could have added a little grace by looking at Obama and smiling.....or putting her hand on his arm in an understanding manner....or stopping the whole damned rigamarole, thanking him....and then giving a cue to restart the band. What would have happened? Armageddon?
I like tradition. There is comfort in familiarity. But, Jeez Louise, if a monarch can't take charge of a minor infraction and add a little humanity, if not humility, to a situation, what an impotent office she holds.
Maybe Elizabeth II should be the last of a long line of totally useless royals who have been living off the English dole for more millennia than is good for a population.
After Qaddafi, the House of Windsor?
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