Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On
Yeah, lest we forget, we may just find ourselves embroiled in yet another pointless international conflict where the innocent lose their lives for the sake of commercial interests.
Iraq wouldn't be too bad if it actually had anything - at all - to do with freedom.
Poingiant:
wienerschnitzel
i don't expect everyone to observe this holiday, however, there are a few canadians here that do and even americans and british as well. i personally take the time each year to think about my family and what sacrifices they have made for others and how i doubt i would have the courage they had to do what they felt was right, which at the time was to serve in the canadian military and fight the war against nazi germany. They fought to protect the rights of all you wankers that insist on turning something as harmless as a rememberance thread into some political bull drama.
Dr. DAS
R.I.P to my Great, Great Grandfather; gassed in Ypres, France: May 1915
Frenchie
No kidding. You can take countless minutes to bitch about it but not 2 minutes to remember those fallen soldiers and the ones who are still fighting? Lame.
donegalredneck
I've discovered a relative killed in WWI in France. My mother's uncle was in the British Army in WWII. And an ancestor on my father's side fought for the British in the Crimean war.
But I don't commemorate.
- T -
the US has memorial day, which everyone "celebrates". i imagine veterans day is to stay in tune with remembrance day, elsewhere.
i still have one of these laying around somewhere
elFreak
In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
had to be posted.
off to the hockey game.
Halcyon+On+On
quote:
Originally posted by wienerschnitzel
They fought to protect the rights of all you wankers that insist on turning something as harmless as a rememberance thread into some political bull drama.
I very, very much doubt that people who died in wars past willingly sacrificed their lives for me so you can off with that rhetoric.
And if you're going to turn your frustrations somewhere, turn it towards countries and leaders who piss on the memory of millions of lives taken unjustly by continuing to wage war. Or how's about all of the men and women serving in the military today who play the game merely because they feel some great swell of pride or duty to their nationalism ticket of choice? The only ones who 'died for us' were those taken into military drafts against their will and were murdered by a system which robbed them of choice all the while promising that their forfeited lives would someday lead to bloodshed's end.
The only true 'lesson' I see with Veteran's Day is in not following in the footsteps of the ones you are remembering. This lesson seems to fall hard on all too daft minds, however.
wienerschnitzel
quote:
Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On
I very, very much doubt that people who died in wars past willingly sacrificed their lives for me so you can off with that rhetoric.
And if you're going to turn your frustrations somewhere, turn it towards countries and leaders who piss on the memory of millions of lives taken unjustly by continuing to wage war. Or how's about all of the men and women serving in the military today who play the game merely because they feel some great swell of pride or duty to their nationalism ticket of choice? The only ones who 'died for us' were those taken into military drafts against their will and were murdered by a system which robbed them of choice all the while promising that their forfeited lives would someday lead to bloodshed's end.
The only true 'lesson' I see with Veteran's Day is in not following in the footsteps of the ones you are remembering. This lesson seems to fall hard on all too daft minds, however.
no they didn't die for you wankers was plural. and i wasn't intending on taking out my frustration, i was simply reflecting with reverance. I thought you were the one who was frustrated with countries and leaders. Are you telling me that people who willingly enlisted in the war were not putting their lives on the line for others? that was specifically reserved for those who were conscripted? you, sir, can off.. 'how is' about that?
Halcyon+On+On
quote:
Originally posted by wienerschnitzel
no they didn't die for you wankers was plural. and i wasn't intending on taking out my frustration, i was simply reflecting with reverance. I thought you were the one who was frustrated with countries and leaders. Are you telling me that people who willingly enlisted in the war were not putting their lives on the line for others? that was specifically reserved for those who were conscripted? you, sir, can off.. 'how is' about that?
Don't give me the 'you wankers' bull until you've died in a war for me. Nobody else. Just me.
You can find quite a bit to sacrifice yourself to some imagined collective or greater good if you advertise it enough - but in the end, quite unbeknown to the very cattle being slaughtered, no good came of their foolish and pointless deaths, now did there?
People who enlist in the military are probably doing it for themselves or have deluded themselves into believing they are protecting their loved ones from, you know, that great ing threat looming over us. Whether it be political agendas, economic agendas, or black people, there's seems to be no shortage of reasons people see as justification for either killing one another directly or merely helping the process by pushing buttons.
You seem to believe that there is honour reserved for the sacrificial, the most lemming-like of our species. This sort of mentality is what allows impassioned viewpoints to perpetuate war and mass murder in the first place.
Oh, but look at me - some er I didn't know *died* so that I could post this. How ing ungrateful I am.
adi_hanson
i see wars in two angles.
one being the battle of britain and the other being the iraq / afgan war.
The battle of britain was an ariel war and the RAF was defending the country against something much bigger.
On paper the RAF should have been wiped out and england become german land.
I think the moral and mentality of those pilots with their spitfires and hurricanes which were heavily outnumbered by the luftwaffe , coupled with some of goerings mistakes , saved the UK from operation sealion becoming a success.
These pilots and soldiers of that day were fighting against one crazy enemy in control of tanks , planes , V2 rockets and several 10's of thousands of soldiers.
And you would want to protect you wife and children against that.
The current conflict in iraq and afgan land are just terrorists , not leaders or military powers but terrorists.
In most western countries a terrorist is dealt with by the civilian police.
But nowadays a nation with a terrorist cell is bombed to and its oil captured.
Although a loss is still devastating , i cant help but feel it is in vain , it dosnt matter.
A phrase in the first world war ' Lions lead by donkeys' stood then and it sure as hell stands now.
And in fairness , i think rememberance day should highlight the pointlessness in current conflicts and as said before , the reasons why people should lay down their life for you , the citizen.
Just remember those who did it for the right of freedom , the ones who fought to save there country and were lead into battle by their leaders on that promise.
Nowadays it seems all an advert , like a real life computer game , and thats where you get the idiots joining because they want to be tough.But there still maybe people who really want to fight the cause.
