Hi, grevinnan, and thanks for responding. I obviously have given you the wrong impression about my views of Monaco - the country - which you have defended above. Please rest assured that my previous posts were perhaps answering a different question than was posed at the beginning of the thread. My assumption, as this is The Royal Forums, was that the question "What's missing in Monaco?" was specifically meant to address the royals in Monaco and that is question I answered. I don't know anyone from Monaco so I can't speak to the character of the people there. Based on everything I have read, they seem no better or worse than any other people in any other country. As far as the country itself, I have seen many photographs, film clips, and television programs and am convinced it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. As a huge tennis fan, I watch the tournament held there every year and enjoy seeing the view from the stadium. In addition, I believe Prince Albert and his cousin, Elisabeth de Massy, are extremely effective in presenting the awards to the finalists.
In response to your suggestion of posting "I don't care for Monaco" and leave it at that, I agree one can state their position on any particular issue in this concise manner. On a discussion board, however, I have witnessed MANY postings of this nature that generate countless responses as to why the original poster felt that way. In fact, I feel that this concise posting without any supporting opinion/facts/etc. is rather empty and a disservice to a discussion board. Otherwise the moderators could just change it to nothing but a poll forum with everything being "do you like it?" or "do you not like it?".
Even your original description of this discussion board being like any other gathering of people in any other setting wouldn't fit in with your suggestion of merely stating one's pro/con on a particular person, country, issue. That is not a discussion. It is an election/poll/focus group, and has a completely different function than a group of people around the water cooler at work, around the dinner table, in an internet discussion forum.
To express your opinions in a positive light even when you don't find something to your liking is a very usable social skill.
True, but it can also be misleading, fake, dishonest, and manipulative.
Lastly, I apologize if my comments are negative to you. I try as much as possible to not make judgements about people, but rather about their actions and the choices they make. I am not anti-Monaco, anti-Albert, or anti-any of them. I sincerely wish for and hope that they all find peace and happiness. I am a spiritual person and actually said a prayer for this family (none of whom I know) when Prince Rainier died. And I honestly believe they could lead much happier, fulfilled, "positive" lives as the choices they make have resulted in some of the drama and tragedy they experience in life and therefore were preventable.
Because of my own experiences/history/prejudices I will continue to have strong feelings about infidelity/adultery/lack of parenting and about public figures who display poor behavior/attitudes. And I may choose to post an opinion that you or any other person may find negative. And if the issue is not that important to me, I will follow my own suggestion of not posting a response. But I will always welcome a disagreement with my views or a differing opinion, whether I respond or not.