Boss: I’d rather employ a paedo than a veteran

[Razgovory]

This demands further explanation!

This doesn't demand anything.  But if you must know they had a call on Christmas morning and left the stove on.  They came back and the whole place was on fire.  Total loss.  Admittedly the police aren't much better.  The current chief of police has no working arms or legs.  He should have been fired for telling two officers not to investigate the City administer when they found him asleep in his car in his drive way.  They noticed the car had recently crashed into something and there was another car's paint chips stuck to it.  They only found him sleeping in the car because the house across the street was on fire and they came accompanying the fire truck.  Such is life in a small town.

[The Larch]

I am sure that one of the reasons why the military and police are more respected in the US is that, in the US, they are seen as servants of the people, doing useful things, just like paramedics and firefighters.  In Europe, the idea that the people are the masters of "public servants" is barely a generation old in some countries, and not many generations old in the others.  As Europe's political system matures and the populace gets more comfortable with the idea of the rule of the people, I think they will take on the more mature attitude of Americans towards their public servants (especially those that risk themselves in public service).  It isn't reverence, by any means, though.  The word you are looking for is "appreciation."

It goes way beyond deserved appreciation, IMO, it's borderline worshiping them.

[Martinus]

But every organization I've worked for has had certain strict rules about what sort of ex-con you can and cannot hire.

Having rules like this would be illegal (and open the organization to discrimination lawsuits from prospective employees) under the Polish (and all relevant EU jurisdictions except the UK) labour regulations.

In fact, it's illegal to even ask a prospective employee for his criminal record, unless this is for a job that by law cannot be performed by ex-convicts (e.g. work in law enforcement).

[Berkut]

I am sure that one of the reasons why the military and police are more respected in the US is that, in the US, they are seen as servants of the people, doing useful things, just like paramedics and firefighters.  In Europe, the idea that the people are the masters of "public servants" is barely a generation old in some countries, and not many generations old in the others.  As Europe's political system matures and the populace gets more comfortable with the idea of the rule of the people, I think they will take on the more mature attitude of Americans towards their public servants (especially those that risk themselves in public service).  It isn't reverence, by any means, though.  The word you are looking for is "appreciation."

It goes way beyond deserved appreciation, IMO, it's borderline worshiping them.

Really? Borderline "worship"? So if your typical American like the police anymore, they would set up a shrine and deify them?

Have you ever been to the USA?

[Martinus]

I am sure that one of the reasons why the military and police are more respected in the US is that, in the US, they are seen as servants of the people, doing useful things, just like paramedics and firefighters.  In Europe, the idea that the people are the masters of "public servants" is barely a generation old in some countries, and not many generations old in the others.  As Europe's political system matures and the populace gets more comfortable with the idea of the rule of the people, I think they will take on the more mature attitude of Americans towards their public servants (especially those that risk themselves in public service).  It isn't reverence, by any means, though.  The word you are looking for is "appreciation."

It goes way beyond deserved appreciation, IMO, it's borderline worshiping them.

Really? Borderline "worship"? So if your typical American like the police anymore, they would set up a shrine and deify them?

Have you ever been to the USA?

Can you read or are you too stupid? He said he formed this view after his trip to the US.

[Berkut]

I am sure that one of the reasons why the military and police are more respected in the US is that, in the US, they are seen as servants of the people, doing useful things, just like paramedics and firefighters.  In Europe, the idea that the people are the masters of "public servants" is barely a generation old in some countries, and not many generations old in the others.  As Europe's political system matures and the populace gets more comfortable with the idea of the rule of the people, I think they will take on the more mature attitude of Americans towards their public servants (especially those that risk themselves in public service).  It isn't reverence, by any means, though.  The word you are looking for is "appreciation."

It goes way beyond deserved appreciation, IMO, it's borderline worshiping them.

Really? Borderline "worship"? So if your typical American like the police anymore, they would set up a shrine and deify them?

Have you ever been to the USA?

Can you read or are you too stupid? He said he formed this view after his trip to the US.

It's true, I cannot read. You've found me out. You are so smart Marty, nobody can get anything past you.

[DGuller]

I've been to a NASCAR race twice in person, which is known for being an extremely right-wing sport, and obviously not in a William F. Buckley intellectual way.  I have to say that the worship of the military exhibited there has to be off-putting, regardless of how much you appreciate their service.  The pre-race ceremony was almost like a Red Square parade. 

The answer to the paradox of freedom-worshipping people being also uniform-worshipping is probably that those people aren't really freedom-worshipping in their actions or beliefs.  They may use the concept of freedom to beat their political opponents over their heads, but there is more than a touch of fascism in their actual beliefs.

[Ed Anger]

I love the flyovers. 

It is like going to an airshow, without all the walking.

Oooooo! F-22's!

[Berkut]

The answer to the paradox of freedom-worshipping people being also uniform-worshipping is probably that those people aren't really freedom-worshipping in their actions or beliefs. 

I don't understand how there is a paradox between being pro-military and freedom loving to begin with.

Unless, of course, you equate the military with being anti-freedom, which I think brings us back to grumblers point. I think that is a flawed assumption - the military in the US is largely seen as a force that protects and promotes freedom by those who tend to be pro-military in the relatively unsophisticated manner you are talking about.

So there is no paradox at all, and certainly not one that needs to be ever so neatly "explained" by some more purple/green Drazi "THEY are all liars who are secret fascists!" tribalism.

[DGuller]

I'm not saying that they are liars, they're just the kinds of people to pick up a slogan without thinking through what it means, and thus come away with a highly inconsistent ideology.

[Ed Anger]

I'd like a little more Prussia in my America.

[Berkut]

I'm not saying that they are liars, they're just the kinds of people to pick up a slogan without thinking through what it means, and thus come away with a highly inconsistent ideology.

That may be the case, but this is a poor example, since having respect (even to the extent you claim) for the military is not inconsistent with being pro-freedom.

One can be both pro-military (even worshipfully so) AND pro-freedom at the same time.

In fact, if you asked one of them, I bet they could explain exactly how they manage to hold onto both ideas at once without much trouble. Assuming you could find one sober at a NASCAR race, of course.

WTF were you doing at a NASCAR race anyway?

Lastly....I know a lot of people who LOVE Nascar, who are most definitely NOT your stereotypical right wing, Rush Limbaugh loving Sarah Palin fans. It is kind of distressing how "mainstream" Nascar has become.

[Grey Fox]

DG is infamously a Nascar fan.

[grumbler]

It goes way beyond deserved appreciation, IMO, it's borderline worshiping them.

Maybe you were not visiting the country I live in when you encountered this.  Or it could be you were just hanging around with police groupies, who probably do borderline-worship police, but are considered weird by the rest of the population.

[Berkut]

I am always amazed at the people visitors to the states manage to run into.