"John Mullen" writes:


With all respect Gordon, this sort of 'respecting the symbol of our nation'
is probably very hard for most Europeans to understand. Particularly this
one, to whom the UK flag is a symbol of an Empire whose great days are
behind it, the EU one a symbol of a dream whose time has not yet come, and
the Saltire a symbol of a nation which sold itself out, or was sold out, a
very long time ago.

Just one of the factors which makes it hard for us to understand each other
from the different sides of the Atlantic.

Here's another way we differ. Take this:

"I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States
of America and to the principles for which it stands, one
nation under law, indivisible, with liberty and justice for
all."

Just as in the oath a federal employee takes ("support and defend the Constitution")...

But the oath is to:

not the President....
not the party in power...
not the government....

but the Constitution itself. We take this for granted, but non-AmCits can have
a hard time grasping that the Armed Forces are NOT loyal to the President...
they are loyal to the document....

So? Well play alternate history. Suppose Nixon tried a coup when on
the ropes. Where would the Army land? With the CinC of the moment...or
the Constitution? Ask yourself that about Haiti, or Liberia, or most
anywhere. In the Commonwealth, it's not even the nation's army --
it's Her Majesty's!

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