Do you know your place?

[Gumdrop]

Prince of Wales personal assistant case............

My place = (re)public house

motherinferior, maybe they could do something useful instead of resorting to violence...a bit like community service (cleaning graffiti, street sweeping)

Ok, slightly different take. Please don't shoot me, but then again tis only my opinion. What I heard and read was that Prince Charles said "without putting in the necessary work or having the natural ability". I actually agree. I think that we let ourselves and others become lazy because we think we can have or do things with no effort from us at all. When you watch things like the X Factor, people get upset when they are told that they will not make it as a popstar because they don't have the ability. People get upset when they are told that they have to work hard to get to where they want to go. Too often we think that turning up will get the job done. There are so many things that we have to work hard at and if we don't we won't get the rewards that we think we deserve. So, should everyone be what they want to be if they don't want to work for it? I don't think so. I think that we should encourage people to reach for the stars but we need to remind them that it's a bl*dy long way and requires some bl*dy hard work. Just my opinion, so fire away....

"What is wrong with people nowadays? Why do they all seem to think they are qualified to do things far above their capabilities?"

what, like be head of the church of England?!

I will always found it a contradiction...isn't it about time to separe the church and the state? I really find it ridiculous...

But... an education system where your grades decide whether you go to the University or not, or which University you will attend, is already encouraging the work-hard-for-your-dreams culture, is it?

Marslady, I'm with you, actually. I also find it sad that there's no discussion of issues Charles raises, just more royal-bashing. He may be naive to put it in writing, but I think he has a point which is this: a culture now exists to continually push individuals to aspire to achieve higher and higher goals, and for what More money? More stress? More responsibility? Less family time? I happen to be married to one of those high achievers so I know the huge sacrifices that they make to get on. And it's no good telling my kids all the time that daddy loves them when actually they'd just like him to be here. Equally sad is the fact that we have flooded the country with graduates, devalued the status of their degrees, and failed to train an entire generation of people who are naturally suited to vocational training all in the pursuit of progress and aspirational education. I work with young offenders who suffer from that environment, and it makes me angry.

If you want to be an astronaut and you have the brain you can be (eg Michael Foale), but many people are happiest when they manage to find contentment and respect in their jobs whatever they may be, and balance in their personal lives.

Yes, but is it valid to take that point from a man whose position (and huge income) are based solely on the fact that his ancestors were good at killing people?

All of our ancestors spent time killing people. He is an educated man and is allowed his opinion as much as we are allowed ours. This came from a leaked memo. He wasn't putting it out there for all and sundry. I think that we need to step back and think about the issues and not worry about the man who has said it. Tony Blair is Prime Minister because he was elected to be so. However, does this mean that all that he says is right? It is not money nor position that gives our opinions value. If a man were to tell me that because I am black I shouldn't be in England I don't have to agree with him, be he rich or poor. However, sticky bit now, he is entitled to his opinion. I don't have to like it, you don't have to like it, but it is an essential part of our humanity that we are able to differ.

Cuts both ways Marslady - he's entitled to have his opinion, we're entitled to think it's a pile of shite.

fair enough doll but remember attack the argument, not the man

Correct me if I'm wrong but Chaz went to Cambridge University without the requisite qualifications. At that time, you had to have English Language and Maths O'level at grade C or above. If my memory serves me correctly, Chaz did not have his Maths qualification so before he criticises the system, he should remember that he and his kind always went to the best schools and universities without necessarily having to work for it.

That aside, I agree with the point that everyone should work for what they want and should not expect everything to come to them without any effort on their part.

I'm with you Motherinferior. Now where is that wall when you need it...

Honestly, the sheer, blinding hypocrisy of it takes your breath away. If hard work and ability are the keys to getting ahead, shouldn't he just resign now and hand over he post of Prince of Wales to someone better qualified than someone who just happened to be born first? It makes me sick. I did hear that when he was studying history at Cambridge (having deprived someone better qualified and with greater 'natural ability' from getting a place btw) he was such a duffer that his tutor actually said to him, "Come on Sir! It's your family we're talking about!"

Felt compelled to agree with Marslady and Gilli.

I'm not condoning what Charles said and I agree that it is a bit rich considering most of the Royals got into Universities on poor grades but the issue remains the same. So much emphasis has been placed on academic capability that any other talent is overlooked, so eloquently put by Gilli. I have done some research into this in my past job and those who are not academically gifted are either made to feel inadequate or encouraged to go to college/university to do some useless course which will never result in them getting a decent, degree related job.

In the past, those who were academically gifted went on to higher academic studies but those who were not were encouraged to find their niche in manual trades and such like. Everyone had a role to play and no-one was made to feel inadequate in their choice as to what makes them happy.

A local tradesman who is working in a neighbour's house has 2 children - his son is earning £700 as a builder, his daughter went to Uni (can't remember the degree) and is earning £4 an hour because she can't get a job she was trained for. I think this is more what Prince Charles was alluding to and his comments have been taken out of context.