6 ms·

> Spending his life serving the country. Rest in Peace. The man was almost 100 years old, almost 30 when India and many other countries got independence from B

> Spending his life serving the country. Rest in Peace. The man was almost 100 years old, almost 30 when India and many other countries got independence from British after a long multi-decade struggle, with many many innocent dead. Frankly I see him as a wealthy old man from a very influential family who should have done better. Am I wrong that this was my first though after seeing this comment? Am I supposed to feel sorry for the royal family and their lack of "freedom"?

dr-detroit 5y ago
Most people on HN are temporarily emberassed billionaires who see the royals as peers.
TrevorJ 5y ago
>Am I wrong that this was my first though after seeing this comment? Yes.
- F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
  why?
  - simonh 5y ago
    Let's just say it tells us an awful lot more about you than it does about him.
    - F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
      Am sorry if this touched a nerve because not everyone sees the British royal family as perhaps you do, I suppose I cannot reward service and loyalty to a cause alone, specially when the cause was colonization and oppression of many many other people.
      - simonh 5y ago
        Personally I see them as a somewhat irrelevant but harmless relic of a bygone era, about which I am largely indifferent. Philip certainly had his flaws, but he was also a brave and resourceful man. The only way he directly touched my life is that both my daughters took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, which they thoroughly enjoyed and had a very positive influence on their lives. Thanks Phil.
        F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
        > somewhat irrelevant but harmless relic of a bygone era, about which I am largely indifferent. Many old people, still alive, lived a good chunk of their lives in what was a British colony then and he was the prince then too. Neither was it that far back in history, nor was it harmless :) You can be indifferent like many others and celebrate the British monarchy, but I suppose I cannot, like many others.
        spectramax 5y ago
        A lot of things your grandpa did in 1930s was probably deeply sexist. Are you going to also look at your granpa with vengeful attitude? Society evolves. Forgive the wrong doings of the past, and move forward. Look ahead.
        F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
        Wow, multiple personal attacks in this thread, all for disagreeing, for saying "...I see him as a wealthy old man from a very influential family who should have done better", speaking about the colonial past in his lifetime". Ugh! Some things never change.
        spectramax 5y ago
        I didn’t mean any personal animosity. Most men in 1930s were sexist and it was accepted in the society. Even, Switzerland allowed women to vote 1980’s. The point is to let go of the decades old past.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
Milner08 5y ago
I think you can feel sorry for them as people, while also being unhappy with their actions over the years and their position of power. To me the reaction in the UK (for example all BBC radio stations are broadcasting the same crap news about him all day) has been way more over the top than I expected, but I can see the impact he has had on UK diplomacy over the years but it still seems highly out of proportion.
- Symbiote 5y ago
  There is a dedicated complaints form, if you wish to write to the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/death-duke-of-edinburgh-tv-coverage/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/death-duke-of-edinburgh-tv-cov...
- Fazel94 5y ago
  It is in answer to "spend his life to serve the country" part, thus a totally called for clarification.
jariel 5y ago
You can think anything you want. The man had a very difficult upbringing, risked his life fighting Nazis and then did his family duty for the rest of his life. He was witty and funny until the end. Gandhi was a pedophile who slept with young boys and girls almost his entire life, and who refused 'foreign medicine' (antibiotics) on the basis of principle for his dying wife, but took 'foreign medicine' (quinine) to save his own later. At the same time, leading a major liberation movement. History is complicated.
- TwBJHghcam 5y ago
  One mention of a relevant but unpopular opinion and we find ourselves at whataboutism and denigrating someone totally different targeted loosely based on a guess of the op's nationality (but guess this won't be flagged / taken down)
  - ksec 5y ago
    Then why do it in a new and obscure account?
stjohnswarts 5y ago
Not really, no more wrong than people who do think they will miss him. As with most things in life it's about context.

dr-detroit 5y ago

Most people on HN are temporarily emberassed billionaires who see the royals as peers.

TrevorJ 5y ago

>Am I wrong that this was my first though after seeing this comment? Yes.

F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
why?
- simonh 5y ago
  Let's just say it tells us an awful lot more about you than it does about him.
  - F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
    Am sorry if this touched a nerve because not everyone sees the British royal family as perhaps you do, I suppose I cannot reward service and loyalty to a cause alone, specially when the cause was colonization and oppression of many many other people.
    - simonh 5y ago
      Personally I see them as a somewhat irrelevant but harmless relic of a bygone era, about which I am largely indifferent. Philip certainly had his flaws, but he was also a brave and resourceful man. The only way he directly touched my life is that both my daughters took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, which they thoroughly enjoyed and had a very positive influence on their lives. Thanks Phil.
      - F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
        > somewhat irrelevant but harmless relic of a bygone era, about which I am largely indifferent. Many old people, still alive, lived a good chunk of their lives in what was a British colony then and he was the prince then too. Neither was it that far back in history, nor was it harmless :) You can be indifferent like many others and celebrate the British monarchy, but I suppose I cannot, like many others.
        spectramax 5y ago
        A lot of things your grandpa did in 1930s was probably deeply sexist. Are you going to also look at your granpa with vengeful attitude? Society evolves. Forgive the wrong doings of the past, and move forward. Look ahead.
        F1Qy94GJ55 5y ago
        Wow, multiple personal attacks in this thread, all for disagreeing, for saying "...I see him as a wealthy old man from a very influential family who should have done better", speaking about the colonial past in his lifetime". Ugh! Some things never change.
        spectramax 5y ago
        I didn’t mean any personal animosity. Most men in 1930s were sexist and it was accepted in the society. Even, Switzerland allowed women to vote 1980’s. The point is to let go of the decades old past.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]

Milner08 5y ago

I think you can feel sorry for them as people, while also being unhappy with their actions over the years and their position of power. To me the reaction in the UK (for example all BBC radio stations are broadcasting the same crap news about him all day) has been way more over the top than I expected, but I can see the impact he has had on UK diplomacy over the years but it still seems highly out of proportion.

Symbiote 5y ago
There is a dedicated complaints form, if you wish to write to the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/death-duke-of-edinburgh-tv-coverage/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/death-duke-of-edinburgh-tv-cov...
Fazel94 5y ago
It is in answer to "spend his life to serve the country" part, thus a totally called for clarification.

jariel 5y ago

You can think anything you want. The man had a very difficult upbringing, risked his life fighting Nazis and then did his family duty for the rest of his life. He was witty and funny until the end. Gandhi was a pedophile who slept with young boys and girls almost his entire life, and who refused 'foreign medicine' (antibiotics) on the basis of principle for his dying wife, but took 'foreign medicine' (quinine) to save his own later. At the same time, leading a major liberation movement. History is complicated.

TwBJHghcam 5y ago
One mention of a relevant but unpopular opinion and we find ourselves at whataboutism and denigrating someone totally different targeted loosely based on a guess of the op's nationality (but guess this won't be flagged / taken down)
- ksec 5y ago
  Then why do it in a new and obscure account?

stjohnswarts 5y ago

Not really, no more wrong than people who do think they will miss him. As with most things in life it's about context.