Are knighthoods good or bad?

If you're talking about tourism, of the top 10 tourist destinations destinations in the country none of them have anything to do with the royal family. Also, I'm almost certain that more people would come to the country if they could look inside the palace rather than just look at the outside and wonder whether she's inside but fair enough I'll leave it at that and not stray too far off topic.

No, I'm talking about the profits from crown estates which regularly come in well over a £100m above the money granted to the Royal Household (not the Queen) in the civil list. But, since you make the point about tourism, I'll ask you a question. Ever seen the front of Buckingham Palace on the news? Ever not seen a large crowd out in front of it, even when nothing is happening? If that's not tourism being attracted by the trappings of Royalty, nothing is. There are hundreds and thousands of people who come here to look at that and then go spend their money elsewhere.

And, you do know you can go inside the palace, right? It's open for tours during the summer, has been for years.

The queen costs more than what she's granted a year. You have to take in to account police protection etc. Of course, Buckingham Palace is a big tourist hotspot. However, countries such as France have empty palaces that are big tourist hotspots. If we believe your idea that it brings in more money now than it would otherwise it's still a weak argument. None of that money goes back to us the taxpayers (except if we are involved in the tourism industry in some way) and even if it does it's just taxed out of our pocket again. The poor giving to the rich. The Tourism Industry is like every other industry. There's a few people making lots of money off it and most of the people involved make very little.

Oh please. That level of everyone gets the same socialism is utter tripe and never ever ever works. It's a fine ideal, but it'll never ever work in reality. I'm not going to even pretend to take hypothetical fantasies seriously, I live in the real world I suggest you join me.

I get with a name like yours that that's all you're going to espouse, but seriously, knock it off (at least in this thread).

If you look at who is getting knighthoods, it tends to be whoever is friends with or is giving money to the party in power. David Cameron's hairdresser got an MBE, while there are people dedicating their lives to making the world a better place who get no recognition at all. I don't think Knighthoods are necessarily bad but they're very elitist and don't necessarily go, as some people on this forum have said, to people making the world a better place.

What was his hairdresser's MBE for?

Services to hairdressing. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/06/david-cameron-barber-mbe-services-hairdressing

I would NEVER address anyone with a title as Sir or my Lord.

You should have told me he was MADONNA's hairdresser. When you do the Queen of Pop and Reinvention, you deserve a knighthood and beyond.

Haha I suppose you do. I'm more angry about this bit "Downing Street came under fire over last week's honours, after awards went to one of Britain's most powerful spin doctors, who holidayed with Cameron, a businessman whose company donated to George Osborne's local party, and the Conservatives' new business ambassador, sparking accusations of cronyism in the system.". I think that's more dodgy that giving one to a celebrity hairdresser.

It's really quite interesting though - if everybody knows that you bought your way to a knighthood, is it really still an honour?

But of course most everybody would have no idea. Even though on the other hand, if you can buy yourself a knighthood, you are probably already a pretty successful and influential person in the country so it would be most probably be expected.