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Comment by simonh | Hacker News Reader

Let's just say it tells us an awful lot more about you than it does about him.

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.

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.

> 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.

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.

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.

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.

Most men in 1943 didn't took part in govs taking the food in such a scale that cause a famine with 2 million dead. So I would give them a pass. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_in_India#Bengal_famine_...

In 1943 Philip was serving in navy fighting Nazis. Not sure why you are linking him to a famine over which he had zero influence.

It’s not for disagreeing or holding a different opinion. It’s for being rude. Whatever your opinion, sometimes it’s good manners to moderate how you express it.

If you think someone disagreeing with you is a personal attack then I don't know what to tell you. You tried to dunk on a recently dead guy, which is generally considered bad form, and got called out for it.

>colonization and oppression of many many other people.

There are probably valid reason why Indian hate the Brits. But not all period and all colonisation are bad and involves oppression. And I am sure there are some good involves that people excluded for their own interest. AFAIK Modern India is united to become one because of the Brits. The Turks also at one point ruled India.

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