Outrage! An outrage I say! .."Outrage over knighthood for tax exile star..."

[Stand_watie]

Who's outraged? Drudge reported the headline, and linked me to this article... "outrage" on the subject of "tax exile" status comments being limited to..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=424570&in_page_id=1770

"...While Bono's anti-poverty crusade has earned widespread respect, some of his other activities have provoked controversy, such as moving his music publishing to Holland to avoid Irish tax..."

While, I think critics of so called "tax-exiles" in general are douchebags, I doubt there are too many people in ol' Ire who are genuinely "outraged" by it in this instance, or by a knighthood being granted to a *noted philanthropist (*please note here that I don't claim Bono's philanthropy to be perfectly thought out or terrifically effective, but I do give him credit for trying very hard, and I don't at all begrudge him a knighthood for his efforts), I'd guess there are approximately two. Two people of Ireland's 5 or so million are "outraged", so I guess Drudge's headline is technically correct if not truthfull...

United Kingdom citizens perk up and pay attention here.. Are British knighthoods available to non-British?? Or do Irish have a special dispensation because of recently being British? If the former, I know a couple of philanthropists on the neighborhood level who's names I should send PM Blair. There's another UK centrist question, I thought the Queen/King handed out the knighthoods? Is that thinking wrong, or has there been a recent (you know, like in the last 200 years) change? I could have sworn that I saw a  recent (past twenty years) news item that Paul McCartney is supposed to be called "Sir Paul McCartney" because the Queen knighted him. Am I misremembering? Correct me on this tradition...just curious.

Personally, I think the "Knighthood" for efforts unrelated to warfare is a pretty nice and decent update to political thought...certainly [insert British citizen who cured a major disease here, Salk and Polio are my quickest memory, but I can't remember his nationality] xyz person has done as much for the kingdom as a great general who won a great battle.

[Vodka7]

United Kingdom citizens perk up and pay attention here.. Are British knighthoods available to non-British??

Technically, Bono's rank in the Order of the British Empire is that of Honorary Knight Commander, not actual Knight Commander.  What this means is he can go around calling himself Bono, KBE, but he can not call himself Sir Bono.  If, however, he becomes a British citizen (or dual citizen with England) he can use the title Sir Bono.

And yes, the Queen gives out the title, but she is advised by the governments of the UK.

[Standing Wolf]

Thank heaven America's founding fathers did away with ranks of nobility!

[Cromlech]

Hahaha, yeah it is somewhat archaic, but it's quite cool sometimes.

It's cool to see some of our old-school British actors with it before their names, it reminds us that they are still British, even if they live in Hollywood. :p

ALSO

There ARE some Americans with a British honour!

Wesley Clark, U.S. General and NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe made Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire March 28, 2000.

Bob Hope, actor, comedian, humanitarian, appointed by H.M. Queen Elizabeth, 1976, as Commander of the British Empire.

Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, U.S. Military Generals, appointed in 1993 as Knights Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Honorary) by H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

George Bush, former U.S. President, appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath by H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

Ronald Reagan, former U.S. President, appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath by H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

Caspar Weinberger, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

John Paul Getty II, U.S. billionaire businessman, appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by H.M. Queen Elizabeth.

Andre Previn, U.S. music composer and orchestral maestro, appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Tom Foley, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. March 19, 1995. Member, Order of the British Empire. Foley also holds the French Legion of Honor and the German Order of Merit. Source: AP news release. The OBE was given by Sir Robin Renwick, the British Ambassador to the United States with these words: "I am ordered by Her Majesty the Queen to invest you with the Order of Knight of the British Empire." Without further ceremony, Sir Robin then placed the neck decoration upon Foley. According to the AP news release, Foley cannot use the chivalric prenominal, but can use the OBE postnominal.

Admiral Leighton W Smith Jr., who recently retired from the United States Navy, has been appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (KBE). The award, which will be made during an audience with The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 5 March, 1997 is in recognition of Admiral Leighton Smith's key role, whilst Commander-in Chief of NATO's Southern Command based in Naples.

Bill Gates - Queen Bestows Knighthood On Bill Gates March 2, 2005 The honor came in a private ceremony today at Buckingham Palace, in recognition of his charitable works. The Microsoft founder was knighted by the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The honor bestowed on the American multi-billionaire is actually an honorary knighthood, because royal titles aren't formally recognized in the United States. Gates was given the knighthood primarily in recognition of his efforts to improve health and reduce poverty in the developing world. To date, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health program has earmarked nearly $5 billion for the effort.

http://www.apfn.org/apfn/knighthood.htm

[Leatherneck]

One of the founding principles of America was to escape the place where classes exist.

TC

[Cromlech]

Yep, but I guess people don't like passing up titles and Lordships et cetera. 

[Cromlech]

Honours for political donations

It has been revealed recently by the Sunday Times newspaper that every donor who has given £1,000,000 or more to the Labour Party since 1997 has been given a Knighthood or a Peerage. On top of this, the government has given honours to 12 of the 14 individuals who have given Labour more than £200,000 and of the 22 who donated more than £100,, 17 received honours. Eighty percent of the money raised by individuals for the Labour Party is from those who have received honours.

Corruption and honours have always gone hand in hand from the very beginning and there are those who believe that the two are virtually indivisible by the very nature of the patronage process[citation needed]. David Lloyd George actually sold honours for cash and used the money for his personal political fundraising. In 1976, the Harold Wilson era was mired by a similar controversy which became known as The Lavender List.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_honours_system

Don't you just love corruption?

[Perd Hapley]

Bill Gates?  Alas, fair Albion, what has befallen thee? 

[Cromlech]

It's a looooooong story. 

[BryanP]

One of the founding principles of America was to escape the place where classes exist.

TC

If you think we don't have hereditary classes here you haven't been paying attention.

[bedlamite]

Silly English k-nnnnniggets!

[Cromlech]

Silly English k-nnnnniggets!

[the Black Knight continues to threaten Arthur despite getting both his arms and one of his legs cut off]
Black Knight: Right, I'll do you for that!
King Arthur: You'll what?
Black Knight: Come here!
King Arthur: What are you gonna do, bleed on me?
Black Knight: I'm invincible!
King Arthur: ...You're a loony.

[K Frame]

It's a British thing. Who gives a flying EFF?

[crt360]

Do they give you a sword and a horse, . . maybe command of a small military detachment . . . or do they just tap you on the shoulder and put your name on a list?

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Do they give you a sword and a horse, . . maybe command of a small military detachment . . . or do they just tap you on the shoulder and put your name on a list?

They can keep the title, I'll be content with them simply giving me the sword and horse.

[grampster]

You may all, forthwith, call me Lord Grampster, archbenevolent of The Keep, Guardian of the 3rd Cell, Master of Froth, Deep Langenator of the Barleycorn.

[AZRedhawk44]

Oh! Oh!

Can I be:  Lord Redhawk, Master of the Datacenter, Keeper of the SAN, High Inquisitor of Security Inclusion, Officiate of the Ritual of Deep Persuasion?

[Iapetus]

Personally, I think the institution of Knighthood was devalued when they started awarding them simply for being successful businessmen / entertainers / party donors.

IMO, Knighthoods should only be a awarded for slaying dragons, rescuing damsels, and fighting the french.

[Perd Hapley]

But fighting the French doesn't require any particular courage or skill.   

[Cromlech]

It did, long ago, in a time before the U.S was even a twinkle in it's daddy's eye. 

[Perd Hapley]

Oh, yeah, I know.  I guess I was reading it in the wrong context.  In those dragon-slaying, maiden-rescuing days it would deserve knighthood.  Those mystical French maidens and their charismatic leadership, they'll get you every time!

[Cromlech]

Either that, or the cheese and garlic will. Damn, I am hungry now.

Honestly though, I do love the little Frenchies.