Different Countries, Different Customs

Via Corpus Callosum, how we do it in America:

Bush-Cheney movie poster: We Weren't Soldiers

It’s different in England:

[Prince] Harry, third in line to the throne behind father Prince Charles and older brother Prince William, graduated from the prestigious Sandhurst military academy last year and is expected to accompany his troops to Iraq in April or May, an unidentified military source told CNN….

Prince Harry battle readyPrince Harry, known as Troop Leader Wales, has trained to command 11 soldiers and four Scimitar tanks. The Daily Mail claimed Harry threatened to quit the army if he was prevented from joining his men on operations. …

Harry’s military service continues a royal family tradition….

His father, Prince Charles, was a pilot with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy. Harry’s uncle, Prince Andrew, was a Royal Navy pilot and served in the Falklands War against Argentina 25 years ago.

Let’s be fair here. If American leaders sent their own kids into battle, how many of these delightful wars of choice do you suppose we’d have? Why, we’d probably only go to war when we had to, and macho politicians can’t survive in an environment like that.