Tuesday, November 17, 2009

THE SICKNESS OF MILITARISM.

"The old men march slowly all bent stiff and sore.

Forgotten heroes from a forgotten war.

And the young people ask what are they marching for.

And I ask myself the same question"

anti war song; (The Band played Waltzing Matilda) Eric Bogle.

The marching bands; the proud veterans; the cheering crowds; the silent tributes; the sea of poppies; it was all on show as it is every year. These are the usual things we bear in mind from Remembrance Day but I will remember something else from this year and it wasn’t something I seen it was something I read and it was truly horrendous. At a Remembrance Day Parade in Essex a local Scout Troup of boys aged 14 to 18 started shouting death threats and racist abuse at group of Jewish Second World War Veterans. Fully dressed and on parade when they saw the Jewish Ex Soldiers they started chanting “lets kill the Jews” the Police are investigating allegations of racially aggravated harassment” the Scout Association has ordered one of the boys to apologise to the local Rabbi; I am left to wonder about the local Scout Association; perhaps a life’s ban and a hand over to the Police might have been more in order but what do I know I’ve never been a scout or a Cadet of any kind nor have my kids; if I wanted to teach them militarism I would just let them watch old John Wayne movies. I am rarely lost for words but what can anyone say here; Nick Griffin would applaud the young Anti Semites with a Sieg Heil but what about the humans what do we have to say?


These well adjusted Essex boys are on the side of the Nazis and Holocaust perpetrators! Can that be right; is there some other way I can put that? I wish there were; I really do; I don’t want to accept that this happened but it did. One has to wonder what their families are like; what are there attitudes to the handicapped to Gypsies to black people; I’m no expert but are Scouts not supposed to be Christians? Do they not swear allegiance to God and Her Majesty? How isolated is this; it seems Just incredible that this happened. It is an extremely serious and worrying incident and should be treated as such; I don’t know how to deal with it; it is just so awful I haven’t got a bloody clue but I hope someone takes it on.


I confess that I long for the day when the war dead can be remembered in a less militaristic way; the last survivor of the great war Harry Patch did not fall for the propaganda and shortly before his death he gave us this quote “war is legalised murder” those who glorify war were given a massive thumbs down by this old soldier; he had a long time to consider what he had done and seen in the trenches and he showed his contempt for the whole squalid business; “well said that man” had he said this in uniform in 19 16 he could have been shot such was the mentality of those of our ‘betters’ who were running the show; some of them; too many of the same clowns are still running the show. Consider this omission from the Remembrance Day parades; it was decided that the war would end at 11.00 am. This was decided several hours before 11.00 am but officers continued to order men to attack right up to the exact hour while knowing it was all about to end and men lost their lives at a couple of minutes to 11.00am. Would it not be more truthful and relevant to read out the names of the officers who gave these orders when the dead are being remembered; ‘lest we forget’ remind everyone of the futile stupidity of the war and those who thought it was the honourable thing to do to fight until the last second; in the history of stupid futile behaviour by men in war this should be for ever highlighted when better than on Remembrance Day?


Training groups like Cadets and Scouts are part of our society and there has never been any doubt in my mind that they instil militarism in young minds and that is dangerous and wrong; marching; drilling and saluting officers is not a healthy way to pass leisure time for young people. Many of their activities are no doubt valuable but playing at soldiers is not one of them what influences did these Boy Scouts come under?



The armistice events are also heavily biased in favour of militarism; the emphasis is on heroism; medals and valour. I hope for a time when Remembrance parades will be less triumphant and more realistic. War should be remembered for what it is ”man at his most base” reduced to no more than a savage; perhaps if the world was reminded more often of the terror and horror of war there would be less of them. Do you want responsible adults to develop from today’s teenagers or would you prefer adult versions of the Essex Boy Scouts?

17 comments:

Ariel said...

Kelly, Remembrance Day does not glorify war.

It's purpose is to give us pause to remember those who suffered so that you could not only spew out nonsense and bile, but do it in English.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Ariel) 17/11/09
I will bow to your superior knowledge of “nonsense and bile”

What about those Boy Scouts though? no comment!

Ariel said...

Kelly @ 2.43
For 'nonsense,' read 'garbage.'

Of course there's a comment - They and the Essex Scouting authorities should be strung up by the thumbs.

If history was still taught in schools, they would have known better, we would not have got involved in Afghanistan and you would have a better grip on reality .

Anonymous said...

Terry, I know you're not big on general knowledge, but I think Britain and it's old colonies are the only countries to have a day to remember the fallen.

Not sure about USA, but others, notably USSR, tend to celebrate purely military power.

Enough to make any normal man question Uncle Joe's legacy, isn't it?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Ariel) 18/11/09

When it comes to ‘nonsense’ ‘garbage’ and ‘bile’ I know when I meet a pro.

History is taught from Primary School to degree level in our education system; available to all thanks to the Labour and Trade Union Movement.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 18/11/09
I can’t think of any country that does not hold military parades.

“Enough to make any normal man question Uncle Joe's legacy, isn't it?”

Would any normal man not praise the legacy of “Uncle Joe” and the heroic forces of the Soviet Union when they consider the following?

War Dead – U.K. and U.S.A. combined 867,500. The Soviet Union 24,000,000. For the avoidance of doubt that’s America and Britain combined – less than 1 Million The Soviet Union - 4 million.

Uncle Joe and the Russians saved our skins; you would be running around now speaking German if it had not been for the heroism and sacrifices of the Russians; you cretin.

Anonymous said...

I you were taught history, it wasn't history as mere mortals know it. A goodly number of Russian war dead were caused by the Stalinist equivalent of falling down the charge room steps.

That murderous maniac killed more Russians than the Nazis.

And are you really putting the Edinburgh Tattoo in the same Military Parade league as the Red Square 'Salute to the Politburo' March Past?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 19/11/09
Your war comments are saloon bar garbage; you owe your freedom to Stalin and the Soviet Union.

Have you seen the Royal navy gather at Spithead or Portsmouth; the RAF displays & Fly pasts; did you know that the Royal Windsor parasites smell of aeroplane fuel from fighter jets flying over their heads?

Ariel said...

You ARE comparing the Edinburgh Tattoo to the May Day Parade, aren't you, you mendacious little rascal.

And many of the Russian war dead that the old ogre didn't kill,died because he culled the officer corps prior to joining Hitler in a non aggression pact, leaving the Red Army largely leaderless.

And dont forget the Penal Battallions, he sent out to clear minefields...by marching across them.

Von Spreuth. said...

Anonymous said...

Terry, I know you're not big on general knowledge, but I think Britain and it's old colonies are the only countries to have a day to remember the fallen.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:14:00 PM


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkstrauertag

A Volkstrauertag was proposed in 1919 by the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge) as a commemoration for German soldiers killed in the First World War. It was first held in 1922 in the Reichstag and in 1926, it was decided to observe Volkstrauertag regularly on Reminiscere (the second Sunday of Lent.)

Heldengedenktag (1934–1945)

On February 27th, 1934, the National Socialists introduced national holiday legislation to create Heldengedenktag (Day of Commemoration of Heroes), cementing the observance. In the process, they completely changed the character of the holiday: the emphasis shifted to hero worship rather than remembering all the dead. Joseph Goebbels as Propaganda Minister issued guidelines on content and implementation, instructing that flags no longer be flown at half-mast. The last Heldengedenktag was celebrated in 1945.


Modern form

After the end of World War Two, Volkstrauertag was observed in its original form in West Germany, beginning in 1948. The first central meeting of the German War Graves Commission took place in 1950 in the Bundestag in Bonn. In 1952, in an effort to distinguish Volkstrauertag from Heldengedenktag, its date was changed to the end of the ecclesiastical year, a time traditionally devoted to thoughts of death, time, and eternity. Its scope was also broadened to include those who died due to the violence of an oppressive government, not just those who died in war.

France and Belgium

Armistice Day (November 11) is a national holiday in France and Belgium. It commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning - the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month."

Italy

In Italy, servicemen who died for the nation are remembered on 4 November, when the ceasefire that followed the Armistice of Villa Giusti in 1918 began. Since 1977, this day has not been a public holiday; now, many services are held on the first Sunday of November.

Von Spreuth said...

Cllr Terry Kelly said...
you would be running around now speaking German if it had not been for the heroism and sacrifices of the Russians; you cretin.


Rather racist of you is it not?

What is wrong with speaking German?

Von Brandenburg-Preußen.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

I never mentioned the Tattoo but it certainly is a feast of war worshiping gung ho entertainment; all that marching and drum beating with their tartan frocks swinging; you just want to invade someplace after it don’t you.

I’ve heard that Stalin also shopped Jesus to the Romans and destroyed the twin towers. Then he saved the world from Nazism; then he stopped for his breakfast.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

I thank you for this information it must have taken you at least 5 minutes to assemble it.

The Armistice day started as a remembrance service and is now a military show piece and all over the world armies and navies regularly show off how macho they are.

I don’t know what you are on about; maybe it’s just a lack of intelligence.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

My comment is obviously way over your head.

Anonymous said...

Von Spreuth
I like your style, Mein Herr.

I feel a song coming on. Do you know the words to 'Springtime for Hitler?'

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 21/11/09
Hum the first few bars and I’ll see if I know it.
Zat Churchill was a crap painter; now Hitler; he was a real painter; a whole apartment in one afternoon – two coats!

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 21/11/09
Hum the first few bars and I’ll see if I know it.

"Zat Churchill was a crap painter; now Hitler; he was a real painter; a whole apartment in one afternoon – two coats"!