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The reason why veterans in Britain are treated differently to the US counterparts is because Britain is a very violent country and the population has become so inured to violence that the population just shrug at any mention of being a veteran. Evidence:

1) Britain has invaded 90% of the world's countries at one time or another.

2) since 1707, there has only been 5 years out of three hundred +, when Britain wasn't fighting or invading anybody.

3) Every settlement from the smallest hamlet to the biggest city, has at least one war memorial or statue.

4) TV bombards us (no pun intended) with programmes about Britain fighting somebody. The Nazis are obviously the favourite, but the French and Zulus are a close second.

5) Everybody is a veteran. Seriously, most people I know are veterans. That grandmother sitting next to me at the bus stop was probably a member of SOE and did time in occupied France!

The above may sound like a crazy response, but that's what Britain feels like to me.

Yeah, you're crazy.

 MrDwhitey wrote:
Yeah, you're crazy.

Thanks

Seriously, though, saying you're a veteran in Britain would be like an American getting really excited at owning a gun. Everybody else would shrug their shoulders and say so what, I've got guns as well.

'In the beginning', cars were for rich geeks. They had to build their own, or commission one. Look at Toad of Toad Hall.
Now, anyone can get one, and "Powah!" is a reason to get a big one.

Manly? sort of.

@Do I Not Like That: Saying your a veteran in the US will usually get you some mild respect, but for the most part its just a previous employer. Veterans in the US are very common-place, as well.

And we have plenty of war movies and TV shows, too, depiciting US vs. This or That...your pic being a good example.

And just about every place I've been to has a War Memorial Park or something equivalent.

 thenoobbomb wrote:

 mega_bassist wrote:

 thenoobbomb wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:


Automatically Appended Next Post:

So, I am vegetarian for my own personal, completely non-religious ethical reasons. Should I go into the acid bath because I do not base my morality on some supernatural stories?

Yes. To paraphrase an excellent song from the 70s "vegetarians got no reason to liiivvvve."

...
While I hope you are joking, there's no way of telling this because some folks on the internet actually think all vegetarians should go kill themselves because they don't eat meat (more left for those that eat it, right?). If you aren't, I'd point to Rule #1, but eh.

Trust me, it's not just folks on the internet. I catch flak all the time from co-workers for eating/making vegan meals. They just can't process that great food can be made without any animal products. It's actually quite sad.

I've luckily never run into any of those people - in fact, I've only been complimented on it so far. Hooray!

Unfortunately, it seems like it's an American thing. Since I live in a suburb of of a major city, close to a lot of farm communities, it makes it even harder. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to tell people what "vegan" is...If the girlfriend and I want to go out for dinner, out best bet is going into the city to get the most variety. Most local restaurants only have one vegan-friendly option, if they have any options at all.

 thenoobbomb wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:


Automatically Appended Next Post:

So, I am vegetarian for my own personal, completely non-religious ethical reasons. Should I go into the acid bath because I do not base my morality on some supernatural stories?

Yes. To paraphrase an excellent song from the 70s "vegetarians got no reason to liiivvvve."

...
While I hope you are joking, there's no way of telling this because some folks on the internet actually think all vegetarians should go kill themselves because they don't eat meat (more left for those that eat it, right?). If you aren't, I'd point to Rule #1, but eh.

Wait what? Yes I'm joking. jeesh

The US still celebrates war heroes but instead of people knowing the real soldier behind the movie they would associate the actor and would not know who the real soldier was. How many people could recognize the marines that raised the flag on Iwo Jima in the late 40's and 50' and even beyond because the US government paraded them around the country same with Sgt York and I think they did the same thing with the crew of the Memphis Belle people knew who these guys were and could recognize them on the street. Now people would know that Mel Gibson played the part of Col Hal Moor or that Mark Walberg played the main US Navy SEAL character from Lone Survivor (I do not know his name) people would call him a true American Hero and would not even know what he looks like.

It is not that Americans do not celebrate war heroes they just celebrate fictionalized version of them and not the real person, after all one of the main reasons why the government paraded war heroes was to get support for the war, now Hollywood dose a much better job and they do not need to take the real soldier out of the war to do it.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

For most people a car is a box on wheels that lets you go somewhere on your own schedule.

Not only that but cheaply little box cars can still do over the speed limit. I used to drive a BMW but I soon realised that there wasn't anything special about it (aside from the sheer expense of running the thing) so I sold it and bought a Skoda Fabia because it is cheap, reliable and its actually more enjoyable to drive. When I see a 'prestige' car these days I automatically assume that the driver is a dick, they usually drive like one at least....

Muscle cars = waste of money and/or penis extensions.

 Frazzled wrote:

 thenoobbomb wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:


Automatically Appended Next Post:

So, I am vegetarian for my own personal, completely non-religious ethical reasons. Should I go into the acid bath because I do not base my morality on some supernatural stories?

Yes. To paraphrase an excellent song from the 70s "vegetarians got no reason to liiivvvve."

...
While I hope you are joking, there's no way of telling this because some folks on the internet actually think all vegetarians should go kill themselves because they don't eat meat (more left for those that eat it, right?). If you aren't, I'd point to Rule #1, but eh.

Wait what? Yes I'm joking. jeesh

It's the internet. You can never be too sure.

This is true.

For the record, vegatarians should not be murdered. Instead, they should be introduced to the greatness of TexMex's carne asada.

 Skinnereal wrote:
'In the beginning', cars were for rich geeks. They had to build their own, or commission one. Look at Toad of Toad Hall.
Now, anyone can get one, and "Powah!" is a reason to get a big one.

Manly? sort of.

I must inform you that as a true British gentleman Mr Toad of Toad Hall either ordered his cars from Fortnum & Mason or stole them if he was in a particular hurry.

 thenoobbomb wrote:
I've luckily never run into any of those people - in fact, I've only been complimented on it so far. Hooray!

Really? You have never been mocked, teased, or ridiculed? Woah, I should try going to the Netherlands .

 mega_bassist wrote:
Unfortunately, it seems like it's an American thing.[…] Most local restaurants only have one vegan-friendly option, if they have any options at all.

Trust me, it is not. See, there are basically two types of countries. Those were McDonalds provides a vegetarian burger (like Switzerland, the UK, Germany, India,…) and those were they do not. Where I live, they do not. And I was quite surprised to discover they do not either in the U.S., because I have eaten lots of vegetarian burger there, though admittedly I went to better places than McDonalds .
Here in France I really do not think most restaurant even have one vegan option. Vegetarian they usually do (not always ), but vegan is quite harder really. No pizza, no pasta for instance.
If you want to go to somewhere where people know what vegan means, my guess would be that the best place is the U.K.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
Hey, I improved your message:

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Look man, the only reason the blacks haven't risen up against us is because people like me enslave them. If they were protected, one day you'd have a big black president telling you to get out of his way. Do you want that? Do you want that?!

Imagine the horror : a black cow president!

It, uh...was a quote from the Sunday comic "Get Fuzzy". The cat, Bucky, used that line to the vegetarian owner, Rob. Also, your changes are like comparing oranges to the moon.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
Hey, I improved your message:

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Look man, the only reason the blacks haven't risen up against us is because people like me enslave them. If they were protected, one day you'd have a big black president telling you to get out of his way. Do you want that? Do you want that?!

Imagine the horror : a black cow president!

Could it do any worse than the recent ones.

See, this is what my dad said about being a man
"Forget about all that stuff on TV. Being a man, A grown MAN isnt about fighting, it isnt cars or pickup trucks. It is about taking care of your own. Whether it is your community or your family. Its about never laying your hand on not just a women but any person that doesnt lay there hand on you first. It is about making sure your kids are well taken care off, even if you never see them, even if....ESPECIALLY IF it makes you the bad guy. When you are often the bad guy with yous kids, you are doing the right thing. It doesnt matter that you are a nerd, you can still be man"

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
See, this is what my dad said about being a man
"Forget about all that stuff on TV. Being a man, A grown MAN isnt about fighting, it isnt cars or pickup trucks. It is about taking care of your own. Whether it is your community or your family. Its about never laying your hand on not just a women but any person that doesnt lay there hand on you first. It is about making sure your kids are well taken care off, even if you never see them, even if....ESPECIALLY IF it makes you the bad guy. When you are often the bad guy with yous kids, you are doing the right thing. It doesnt matter that you are a nerd, you can still be man"

Make sure your kids get what they need. Which maybe not what they want.

You can have an exalt

 timetowaste85 wrote:
It, uh...was a quote from the Sunday comic "Get Fuzzy".

Oh, okay. Never seen it.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Also, your changes are like comparing oranges to the moon.

The moon is bigger and whiter than oranges.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
See, this is what my dad said about being a man
"Forget about all that stuff on TV. Being a man, A grown MAN isnt about fighting, it isnt cars or pickup trucks. It is about taking care of your own. Whether it is your community or your family. Its about never laying your hand on not just a women but any person that doesnt lay there hand on you first. It is about making sure your kids are well taken care off, even if you never see them, even if....ESPECIALLY IF it makes you the bad guy. When you are often the bad guy with yous kids, you are doing the right thing. It doesnt matter that you are a nerd, you can still be man"

This is easily the best thing I've seen you post on here. Have another exalt.

Agreed.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

So, I am vegetarian for my own personal, completely non-religious ethical reasons. Should I go into the acid bath because I do not base my morality on some supernatural stories?

Your flag says you're french, so that's strike 2 *


*I am only joking of course, until Rugby is on... then, feth the French (except for Chabal... I'm afraid he'd find me)

From my perspective, I reckon people in the UK tend to feel a bit more ambiguously about their military, because they've seen it in action a bit closer to home in some cases.

That said, my brother is a veteran and I don't give him any special respect for it. It's a job he volunteered to do and he was compensated for it. If he'd been killed doing it I think it would be similar to someone killed on an oil rig- sad, but not extra sad because of his job.

I don't find much particular heroism in being part of a first world military fighting under equipped developing nations. Though I am sure individual soldiers are often decent people.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
*I am only joking of course, until Rugby is on... then, feth the French (except for Chabal... I'm afraid he'd find me)

Rugby? Yeah, whatever, you can win all the rugby you want. France eliminated the US right from the start of the Nation Wars, so who cares about rugby .

 Frazzled wrote:
This is true.

For the record, vegatarians should not be murdered. Instead, they should be introduced to the greatness of TexMex's carne asada.

I have a better idea! Recycle them!

Guys, you can't play rugby with French people. If you break their right hands, what will they surrender with?*






*another quip from Get Fuzzy

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Guys, you can't play rugby with French people. If you break their right hands, what will they surrender with?*

Its a well known fact the frenchmen turns pale white when threatened as a display of submission.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Guys, you can't play rugby with French people. If you break their right hands, what will they surrender with?*






*another quip from Get Fuzzy

They won't surrender , they'll be too busy holding onto someone else with their left hand whilst they rake you with their studs. Gotta hand it to the french on the rugby field they sure do show passion (viciousness?)

 Jehan-reznor wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
This is true.

For the record, vegatarians should not be murdered. Instead, they should be introduced to the greatness of TexMex's carne asada.

I have a better idea! Recycle them!

Corn-fed and free range veggie? Nice.