Americans, i have a question: Why are your political leaders forever named for the positions they no longer hold? I do not understand. It's not like there's a mayor or governor or president emeritus position, right? And you can't just pull up the old one and have them substitute in.
we don’t have knighthoods and you gotta* call them something respectful
re: “And you can't just pull up the old one and have them substitute in.” in diplomatic negotiations this frequently does happen (remember if following the law, no ambassador or Secretary of State or president can finalize a treaty so it doesn’t matter who you talk to and presidents are legit)
Yeah, ours also often do charm offensives. But you cannot assume their allegiances are pure any more.
the number of former presidents with pure motives since George Washington can probably be counted on one hand (and Washington’s definitely not on the list)
Right, but we also don't have knighthoods (by law!) And they get called former prime minister, or just Mr or Mrs once they're no longer in the role. They don't get to hang onto the "Right Honourable" label.
I thought you even had lords and ladies, you have a queen!
err wait you have that schmuck now, is he on the money yet?
That's a good question. I think they've been minting money with his face on it. Mostly the change (for me) is that all our legal proceedings are through the king's court now. And yes, he is our head of state. But if you are a canadian citizen, you cannot be a member of the house of lords.
I've lived down here for 30 years and I still don't know why this is the way.
Because we don’t have Lords? 🤷🏻♀️ Honestly i never even think of it, unless it’s someone who clearly had to break a glass ceiling to get the title. Then yeah, i insist on calling them by their earned title unless they ask me not to.
Canadians also don't have lords. It's illegal here.
Ah, apologies, i was thinking you were across the pond. It’s illegal to call someone by a former title? Or to be a Lord?
To be a lord. No canadian can be a lord/knight.
🤔 i didn’t know that. Like, it precludes dual citizenship? If you’re born with a title to one UK parent, you can’t be a Canadian citizen? Or you just can’t use the title?
That's a good question. I think it would apply to anyone. But if you're born with it, i don't know en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia...
Conrad Black, the Canadian newspaper man, famously renounced his canadian citizenship just so he could claim his title in the house of lords. He's also an american citizen.
That tracks. I dunno, i tend to think all the countries that were founded by white Europeans have a collective mishmash of carried-over traditions that don’t make sense, and reactive laws trying to protect some colonizing values while eschewing others. I doubt there’s much logic involved.
Yeah, I agree with you. That's also why all water bodies are publicly owned here - so nothing belongs to the king or a local lord. Canada clearly had a lot of regular plebes in the nation-building.
I remember that. I didn't realize he was dual
Yeah. And then he went to American jail iirc. (For not house of lords stuff)
I remember reading Barbara Frum's essay about visiting him in prison and rubbing shoulder with other wives in the waiting room That was special
I think because it’s not a job it’s a title? I am 99% it’s in the constitution somewhere or I would not know this
Huh. If it's in the constitution, that makes sense.
I mean, it still doesn’t make sense. It just has something that demands it. We haven’t all decided and agreed
Yeah, agreed. But at least there's a legal document somewhere saying "this is what you're supposed to do" .
But I accept that it is a dumb practice
Got me. I always think it should be "former" president / governor/ whatever.