Here’s Something To Remember This Remembrance Sunday
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Number 531
Conspirator for: 15 years 45 weeks
Posted on: November 4, 2009 - 10:44am
Its that time of year when everybody is wearing a poppy in their lapel. As far as I'm concerned the whole wearing plastic poppies & Remembrance Sunday is now but a celebration of militarism. Oh of course people will say no its not & that its when we remember those who gave their lives defending this country. Its certainly true in the case of World War II but only because the previous World War was horrifically unjust & its not as if that vast majority of military action since World War II has been in defence of this country rather in defence of western corporatist interest particularly with the invasion of Iraq.
When it comes to Iraq & Afghanistan I often get the response that though the troops might fight various wars it's the politicians who order them to do so & it's the politicians who should be blamed for starting wars. What a lot of people seem to forget is that nobody is forced to fight any war at least here & the US, because nobody is forced to join the army! Yes that's the bottom line that nobody wants to hear that no individual is forced into joining the army & therefore nobody is forced into fighting any war. I'd also say that its my opinion that currently if you join up then you're prepared to go & fight unjust wars.
Few years ago I encountered an ex Para who endlessly bitched that he had to kill people & I kind thought Jesus fucking Christ what did he expect! The army ain't the Cub Scouts, it ain't toasting marshmallows & playing with your penknife, the army is about killing people that's primarily been about for centuries & you really be either really dumb or really naïve to believe otherwise. I blame those slick recruitment ads you see on the television giving the impression that the military is something exciting or that the military is about aiding people & neglecting to tell the actual truth. Maybe instead of getting brainwashed by slick advertising they should watch the news where they can see the endless deaths & maiming that wars cause on all sides.
I've a friend in the US who co-hosts a radio talk show where on a regular basis they'll get ex-servicemen phoning into the show stating they're a veteran & therefore automatically expect greater respect then with any average civilian. The hosts of this particular talk radio show take the attitude that they shouldn't automatically give greater respect & in fact they shouldn't get respect period & in fact maybe should be disrespected because these are people who on the whole volunteer to kill people.
The US ditched the military draft in the early 70s & here military conscription was ditched a decade before & therefore ever since anybody who has joined the military has done so vulnerary basis & therefore have vulnerary signed up to kill people whether justly or unjustly. But never mind that Iraq & etc have been unjust wars, the veteran worship that goes on in the US is becoming ever prevalent here too. I refuse utterly to respect anybody who vulnerary agrees to kill people unjustly & in fact that people do worship those who do so makes me want to puke! Of course somebody is bound to say to me how dare I disrespect those who gave their lives so you can enjoy the freedom which you do. I've every respect for those who gave their lives fighting Nazi Germany as Nazi Germany was a direct threaten to the liberty of those living in Britain & well enough that if Britain hadn't taken the stand which it did then I'd possibly not of been free to write this. But just about every military action which Britain has participated in since has been wholly unjust...Korea, Suez, Iraq, okay there's some justification for the Falklands & the initial invasion of Afghanistan however there are serious issues of doubt surround both military actions & in the case of Afghanistan most of those doubts are founded. As far as I'm concerned that the only justified war is one where the borders of the country you live are under direct attack by outside military forces & that doesn't count terrorist attacks justifying military invasion of where ever, as the reason there have been planes flown into buildings & subway trains blown up has been in response of military action & meddling that the US, UK & NATO has undertaken particularly in the Middle East.
Of course people trot out that fuck awful cliché that they don't support the war but they support the troops. My response being that if you support the troops then you do support the war because the bottom line is that it's the troops who are fighting the war & what's more they volunteered to do so. Of course then people say that troops are ordered to fight & so have no choice in the matter. I think that following orders was not an excuse at the Nuremberg Trials & that maybe if soldiers did rebel on mass against orders to fight illegal & unjust wars then there wouldn't be as many illegal & unjust wars. But of course the military isn't about people questioning what's right or wrong its about having automaton killers do the bidding of any corporatist regime.
Of course I'm bound to be told that wearing the poppy isn't about supporting militarism rather it's about supporting those ex servicemen who have been injured in the course of duty or in support of those families & love ones of servicemen who have been killed in the course of duty. Hmm people voluntarily sign up to kill people unjustly & then when they are injured or killed doing so people are expected to give them money for any hardship they might endure. Hey if you sign up & participate in unjust wars & get injured or killed in the process then I really do have fuck all sympathy for you& maybe rather then the government ramping up the defence budget to fight new wars they should be spending money on care of the hired killers they employ.
As far as I'm concerned wearing a poppy is merely endorsing militarism & that its okay to have hired killers to go fight wars that have fuck all to do with liberty & everything to do with corporate greed.
Its that time of year when everybody is wearing a poppy in their lapel. As far as I'm concerned the whole wearing plastic poppies & Remembrance Sunday is now but a celebration of militarism. Oh of course people will say no its not & that its when we remember those who gave their lives defending this country. Its certainly true in the case of World War II but only because the previous World War was horrifically unjust & its not as if that vast majority of military action since World War II has been in defence of this country rather in defence of western corporatist interest particularly with the invasion of Iraq.
When it comes to Iraq & Afghanistan I often get the response that though the troops might fight various wars it's the politicians who order them to do so & it's the politicians who should be blamed for starting wars. What a lot of people seem to forget is that nobody is forced to fight any war at least here & the US, because nobody is forced to join the army! Yes that's the bottom line that nobody wants to hear that no individual is forced into joining the army & therefore nobody is forced into fighting any war. I'd also say that its my opinion that currently if you join up then you're prepared to go & fight unjust wars.
Few years ago I encountered an ex Para who endlessly bitched that he had to kill people & I kind thought Jesus fucking Christ what did he expect! The army ain't the Cub Scouts, it ain't toasting marshmallows & playing with your penknife, the army is about killing people that's primarily been about for centuries & you really be either really dumb or really naïve to believe otherwise. I blame those slick recruitment ads you see on the television giving the impression that the military is something exciting or that the military is about aiding people & neglecting to tell the actual truth. Maybe instead of getting brainwashed by slick advertising they should watch the news where they can see the endless deaths & maiming that wars cause on all sides.
I've a friend in the US who co-hosts a radio talk show where on a regular basis they'll get ex-servicemen phoning into the show stating they're a veteran & therefore automatically expect greater respect then with any average civilian. The hosts of this particular talk radio show take the attitude that they shouldn't automatically give greater respect & in fact they shouldn't get respect period & in fact maybe should be disrespected because these are people who on the whole volunteer to kill people.
The US ditched the military draft in the early 70s & here military conscription was ditched a decade before & therefore ever since anybody who has joined the military has done so vulnerary basis & therefore have vulnerary signed up to kill people whether justly or unjustly. But never mind that Iraq & etc have been unjust wars, the veteran worship that goes on in the US is becoming ever prevalent here too. I refuse utterly to respect anybody who vulnerary agrees to kill people unjustly & in fact that people do worship those who do so makes me want to puke! Of course somebody is bound to say to me how dare I disrespect those who gave their lives so you can enjoy the freedom which you do. I've every respect for those who gave their lives fighting Nazi Germany as Nazi Germany was a direct threaten to the liberty of those living in Britain & well enough that if Britain hadn't taken the stand which it did then I'd possibly not of been free to write this. But just about every military action which Britain has participated in since has been wholly unjust...Korea, Suez, Iraq, okay there's some justification for the Falklands & the initial invasion of Afghanistan however there are serious issues of doubt surround both military actions & in the case of Afghanistan most of those doubts are founded. As far as I'm concerned that the only justified war is one where the borders of the country you live are under direct attack by outside military forces & that doesn't count terrorist attacks justifying military invasion of where ever, as the reason there have been planes flown into buildings & subway trains blown up has been in response of military action & meddling that the US, UK & NATO has undertaken particularly in the Middle East.
Of course people trot out that fuck awful cliché that they don't support the war but they support the troops. My response being that if you support the troops then you do support the war because the bottom line is that it's the troops who are fighting the war & what's more they volunteered to do so. Of course then people say that troops are ordered to fight & so have no choice in the matter. I think that following orders was not an excuse at the Nuremberg Trials & that maybe if soldiers did rebel on mass against orders to fight illegal & unjust wars then there wouldn't be as many illegal & unjust wars. But of course the military isn't about people questioning what's right or wrong its about having automaton killers do the bidding of any corporatist regime.
Of course I'm bound to be told that wearing the poppy isn't about supporting militarism rather it's about supporting those ex servicemen who have been injured in the course of duty or in support of those families & love ones of servicemen who have been killed in the course of duty. Hmm people voluntarily sign up to kill people unjustly & then when they are injured or killed doing so people are expected to give them money for any hardship they might endure. Hey if you sign up & participate in unjust wars & get injured or killed in the process then I really do have fuck all sympathy for you& maybe rather then the government ramping up the defence budget to fight new wars they should be spending money on care of the hired killers they employ.
As far as I'm concerned wearing a poppy is merely endorsing militarism & that its okay to have hired killers to go fight wars that have fuck all to do with liberty & everything to do with corporate greed.