One thing I really like about America is how they honour their soldiers.
Whereas people in other nations often view them as thugs or violent killing machines, the US tends to treat members of their armed forces with the upmost respect.
Some people in the UK will say we do a similar thing, but I’m not so sure.
A long time ago, in an episode of ‘Only Fools and Horses’, Granddad said a line that I felt was particularly poignant:
“They promised us homes fit for heroes, we got heroes fit for homes!”
… and while that show was a comedy [even if that line was not], I can’t help but feel it represents how many nations treat their young and brave when they return to shore.
Whether you agree with war or not, the fact people are willing to put their lives on the line for something they believe in incredible choice [though I also accept this can also have negative connotations] which is why I respect America for making sure their soldiers feel immense gratitude for their choices.
Of course it wasn’t always that way – the stories of what happened to many soldiers who returned from Vietnam has been well documented – however in modern society, whether it’s letting them get on a plane first or, as you can see from the Def Leppard picture above, getting discounts for concerts, the US ensures the people who defend their countries values [however fucked up they may be] are treated with the respect they deserve and for a nation that seems to place ridiculous levels of adulation on those who are rich and famous [case in point, the media’s sycophantic obsession with Kanye and Kim Kardashian’s recent ostentatiously vulgar wedding] … that is a wonderful thing to see.