Sarah Palin 'believed Queen was in charge of British forces in Iraq'

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

You mean it's not really Her Majesty's Armed Forces?

No they aren't, in the sense that she has no control over when and where they are deployed. Palin was mistaken about this very basic point, and while it may be fine for the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska to be unaware of the role that the monarch plays in the government of one of America's most important allies, it's not at all fine for the Vice President of the United States to be unaware of this.

Actually it is "Her Majesty's Armed Forces," though the person of the sovereign has no role in policy:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Armed_Forces

I think Palin meant to say "the Crown," i.e. the government of the day (the politicians supported by a plurality of the Commons) that exercises the royal prerogative.

The woman's a doofus...accept it and move on.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

You mean it's not really Her Majesty's Armed Forces?

No they aren't, in the sense that she has no control over when and where they are deployed. Palin was mistaken about this very basic point, and while it may be fine for the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska to be unaware of the role that the monarch plays in the government of one of America's most important allies, it's not at all fine for the Vice President of the United States to be unaware of this.

Actually it is "Her Majesty's Armed Forces," though the person of the sovereign has no role in policy:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Armed_Forces

I think Palin meant to say "the Crown," i.e. the government of the day (the politicians supported by a plurality of the Commons) that exercises the royal prerogative.

The woman's a doofus...accept it and move on.

I think that is a difference between an American misusing the terminology (which still makes her a doofus, BTW), and an American thinking Elizabeth II is the political leader of the UK who makes policy.

I can remember a post from one your fellow countrymen, er, excuse me, "mates," Hugh, about "gridiron."  I've never heard American football called that by anyone in the US, but that didn't make him an idiot for using the term wrongly ("gridiron," can refer to the field on which the game is played).

And "mate," has a very different connotation that how you would use it.  That doesn't make you an idiot either.

BTW - I never use the word mate.