I've realised that some non-English-English speakers may be confused by the British reaction to Mark Zuckerberg sending other people in his place after his invitation to speak to the UK Parliament
While "you are invited to Parliament to speak on this subject" may be interpreted as "we'd like you come and talk if it's not too much bother" to some foreign ears, the phrase actually means "COME HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND YOU LITTLE SHIT AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF"
@devurandom @troubleMoney I know little of UK politics but that sounds like exactly the kind of thing for them to try.
@BatElite @devurandom @troubleMoney hey there was a black mirror episode about this
@devurandom they probably wouldn't jump to that first, but I wouldn't put it past them
I'd assume they can at least stop UK advertisers from financing Facebook. They've also shown willingness to block domains at a national level; vpn's would get around it but it'd put a serious dent in the userbase nonetheless.
@troubleMoney @PinkCathodeCat And Z. Actually sends someone. When Germany asked the British government to explain the Snowden findings and what the GHCQ does, they didn't give a shit.
@troubleMoney
The idea that he'd turn down the honour of having Parliament as an audience indicates a lack of respect for the government in Her Majesty's name.
Americans are known to show disrespect toward the crown; not surprising. As if businessmen can be expected to behave in the absence of a monarch for guidance.
If the crown decides to bring us back under its wing, count me a loyalist. We deserve a local government, but the lack of a monarch is why we're stuck with Trump.
@troubleMoney Might there also be some confusion over the fact that Mark Zuckerberg is in fact not a British subject, so they can't really order him to do anything?
@thor nowt to do with being a UK citizen or not (people aren't "Subjects" any more (except in some very rare circumstances)), it's a case of "if we invite you to speak here it's technically optional, but you fucking better be dead or dying if you don't"
@thor it's like your mother in law coming to visit
you can technically say no, but you don't
@troubleMoney I sort of liked the quaintness of "subject"... Something about the Queen, tea and crumpets...
@troubleMoney Reminds me of an Anne Bishop book I read once where the older mentor figure had to explain that "at your earliest convenience" in a letter from the Queen means "drop everything and run."
@troubleMoney This kind of things are what made me enjoy every single day I lived in Liverpool :D
@troubleMoney He's American and not subject to English demands, we shot you bastards over that, remember? Sending anyone is more polite than necessary.
When Congress asks him in, it'll be very different or he'll be charged with contempt.
@mdhughes why is it you guys always have to bring up the war of colonial ingratitude?
It's like you think you lot shooting at us while we owned your country is somehow special
We owned a third of the planet at one point, a lot of people shot at us
Try to insult us with something original
Like how our judges still wear stupid curly wigs or something
@troubleMoney I've probably read too much British works.
but I understood the message crystal clear. "Show up or be sanctioned"
@pnathan @troubleMoney I'm pretty sure that's how it works with any parliamentary or congressional body.
@troubleMoney damn Yankees! I'm cornfed 'Merican. But I have an IQ, and your Brits are so dry.. I love it, keep it coming.
@lball @troubleMoney I think it's fair to say we're also masters of understatement 😂
OMG. Love the guardian btw. So sorry on the results! We both speak English, but even slang gets mutated across America. I was told we say "Jose" a totally different way than I do. I say H, people from my town say the J. The people from my town are also very stupid.
@troubleMoney to be fair, what can the parliament do in response? it's not like they can just ban facebook in the uk...