Have we forgotten? I think we have. No, I know we have. We've forgotten about their sacrifice and what was built on that sacrifice, we've forgotten the better fairer world and life for which people hoped, which people died for. All about us the edifices of that better world, built on sacrifice, are being torn down by the ideological ambitions of the establishment which still sends people to fight and die in their wars of commerce and conquest. After WW2 the establishment only conceded to the ambitions of the people through fear of the unity of the people forged in the war. The welfare state, social housing, education, the NHS, all the public services which make life in this country were built and are the living legacy of the fallen. Sadly they too are being forgotten.
Remembrance of sacrifice has been replaced by jingoism, national obedience, a reduction in liberty and freedom and of course war, there's always war; what happened to 'lest we forget' and 'never again'. That better world bought in blood, where was was a thing of the past, where the vulnerable were to be supported, a job meant security, a secure affordable home was available to everyone who needed one, free education and free health for all is being sold to the detriment of the people, who are being thrown to the wolves.
Still we're supposed to wear our poppies with pride, and keep our mouths shut.
We see remembrance sponsored by arms manufacturers, children wearing 'future soldier' t shirts and remembrance used by the establishment and their media mouthpieces to solicit support for current and future conflicts. Is this what the fallen would want? To be used to propagate more war dead. I think not. Our public services are their monuments, 365 days a year they serve to remind us and we remember, not one day a year for the cameras at the cenotaph followed by a slap up VIP lunch. The hypocrisy and bullshit of it all stinks so high I'm surprised we've not all got pegs on our noses. Why do people still buy into this corrupted paradigm of peace, it symbolizes nothing of the sort; and if you challenge it, man, people have a mental and accuse you of disrespect. Every one must wear a poppy, anyone on TV MUST wear a poppy or face pillory from the media, the extreme right use the poppy in memes to bolster their hate campaigns and rampant nationalism of the worst kind is encouraged.
Is that what the fallen would want? Is it fuck!
If we want to remember the fallen, remember them, by all means give money to support veterans charities (I certainly do), buy a homeless veteran a meal (remember, there's certainly enough of them at about 10,000), keep the war graves of the fallen tended, but most important of all don't let their sacrifice be for nothing, fight to protect their true legacy. Remember them every day through that.
Remembrance of sacrifice has been replaced by jingoism, national obedience, a reduction in liberty and freedom and of course war, there's always war; what happened to 'lest we forget' and 'never again'. That better world bought in blood, where was was a thing of the past, where the vulnerable were to be supported, a job meant security, a secure affordable home was available to everyone who needed one, free education and free health for all is being sold to the detriment of the people, who are being thrown to the wolves.
Still we're supposed to wear our poppies with pride, and keep our mouths shut.
We see remembrance sponsored by arms manufacturers, children wearing 'future soldier' t shirts and remembrance used by the establishment and their media mouthpieces to solicit support for current and future conflicts. Is this what the fallen would want? To be used to propagate more war dead. I think not. Our public services are their monuments, 365 days a year they serve to remind us and we remember, not one day a year for the cameras at the cenotaph followed by a slap up VIP lunch. The hypocrisy and bullshit of it all stinks so high I'm surprised we've not all got pegs on our noses. Why do people still buy into this corrupted paradigm of peace, it symbolizes nothing of the sort; and if you challenge it, man, people have a mental and accuse you of disrespect. Every one must wear a poppy, anyone on TV MUST wear a poppy or face pillory from the media, the extreme right use the poppy in memes to bolster their hate campaigns and rampant nationalism of the worst kind is encouraged.
Is that what the fallen would want? Is it fuck!
If we want to remember the fallen, remember them, by all means give money to support veterans charities (I certainly do), buy a homeless veteran a meal (remember, there's certainly enough of them at about 10,000), keep the war graves of the fallen tended, but most important of all don't let their sacrifice be for nothing, fight to protect their true legacy. Remember them every day through that.
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