Re: Why are VSI so focused on Sweden ?

In article <mddh63zyt72.fsf@panix5.panix.com>,
Rich Alderson  <news@alderson.users.panix.com> wrote:

Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> writes:
>

On Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:22:53 -0400, Arne Vajhøj wrote:

>

Simon did not use "The Rt Hon" Trump. Which besides not being used in
the US also does not seem fitting.

>

They're not supposed to have honorifics in the US. But then they end up
referring to ex-politicians by their last-held title, e.g. living ex-
Presidents continue to be titled as "President".

>
Which is something that changed in my lifetime.  Before Reagan, ex-Presidents
were addressed by the highest non-presidential title they held, or simply "Mr."

Reagan held a relatively low rank in the US Army Air Corps
during World War II; I believe he left the service as a Captain.
As I understand it, he held a non-combat role, leveraging his
acting experience to make training films and so on.  He is said
to have started the modern tradition of returning the salute of
the Marines as he entered and exited HMX-1, apparently out of a
sense of guilt.  Anyway, "Captain" is probably not a title one
would use for a former President, though Truman had famously
been a Captain in command of an artillery battery during World
War I, so maybe.  Of course, Reagan had also been been a
Governor, so could have used that title.  I suppose that would
have been confusing.

I wonder if I can try and use my former military rank as a
title.  "Please, call me Captain.""  The British do that, don't
they?  Or is that just in Agatha Christie novels?  Anyway, I
don't think it would fly.

- Dan C.