Lest we forget
- Thread starter DrNick
- Start date
Stuart Truman said:
A bit simplistic that. Presumably you would've appeased Hitler then?
No, of course not and it's easy to find exceptions but I would have been one of the people who was OK with defending our country and not invading another, as I would be now.
Sometimes simplistic is best. This world is full of problems caused by idiot politicians and the gullible who listen to them, and that includes Hitler who should have been dealt with by his own. Blair and Bush are war criminals and should be treated as such.
Sometimes simplistic is best. This world is full of problems caused by idiot politicians and the gullible who listen to them, and that includes Hitler who should have been dealt with by his own. Blair and Bush are war criminals and should be treated as such.
I agree with the sentiment - particularly in light of the Bush/Blair debacle. It's not always as simple as that though.
It's easy to bash politicians but ultimately we elect them and most of us choose them on the basis of what party they represent and not on their character. We have had some very fine parliamentarians but the uncomfortable truth is we get the politicians we deserve.
It's easy to bash politicians but ultimately we elect them and most of us choose them on the basis of what party they represent and not on their character. We have had some very fine parliamentarians but the uncomfortable truth is we get the politicians we deserve.
TitanTim said:
Frankly it's neither Tim - it's the electorate that are the problem.
original guvnor said:
I completely agree, but we don't get to choose who we vote for, in that we don't select the candidates, they're foisted upon us. Electoral colleges to select the local candidates might make more people vote. I'm not interested in Tory Boy that's parachuted into a safe seat, stays for years, does bugger all and then retires. Yet that's what I've got. He should have to stand for the right to stand for his party locally
Full PR might help too. Instead, we've elected in a bunch that have set the rules and system such that it's near impossible to change. Based on my income, I should be a rabid Tory, but I can't stand them. I can't abide Labour either and the Liberal Democrats have sold out. I'd prefer to see a house of independents but that won't happen. Fortunately with all the scandals, a few politicians of all parties are coming out of the woodwork and voting with their conscience. Let's hope a few more do that.
There's nothing wrong with religion (I'll declare I'm an atheist here) except for the fundamentalists of all religions, Abrahamic or otherwise.
EDIT - Moved the rant into the On the Light Side forum where it's probably more appropriate
My wife and I went out for a drive and to do some Christmas shopping in the Zed - roof down beautiful morning - realising it was close to 11 oclock we turned on Radio 4. Very well presented on Radio 4 - just before 11 we pulled over, turned the engine off and took part in the two minutes silence - seemed the very least we could do to respect those who made the ultimate sacrifice. (I remember as a child traffic and people stopping as factory sirens and the like sounded at the eleventh hour) at the end my wife was tearful and I was choked as we heard the bugles sound - as Finistere says - the older we get the more poignoint. Lest we forget indeed.
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Must admit, I slept through it, so in a way, I was silent!
Saw a picture of an old man with a walking stick and his shadow was a soldier with full pack on etc, I thought that was quite striking.
Saw a picture of an old man with a walking stick and his shadow was a soldier with full pack on etc, I thought that was quite striking.
I felt very angry this weekend watching the antics of the lugubrious BBC boss George Entwistle flip flopping then jumping ship having been ragged by Jonn Humphries in a radio interview. He was later described as "heroically sacrificing himself for his colleagues" "had to go because he could not withstand sustained fire" and to top it all, the comatose BBC Grandee Chris Patten said he was "brave and honourable"!
This contrasted very poignantly with interviews and features on vet's of various ranks who actually know what leadership under fire looks like and have sacrifice seared on their bodies and minds. I hid a tear at one stage. It's a bloody good job they didn't £uck off after 54 days and unfortunately won't be taking a £450k package like the 'heroic' Mr Entwistle
This contrasted very poignantly with interviews and features on vet's of various ranks who actually know what leadership under fire looks like and have sacrifice seared on their bodies and minds. I hid a tear at one stage. It's a bloody good job they didn't £uck off after 54 days and unfortunately won't be taking a £450k package like the 'heroic' Mr Entwistle
Woo7dy said:
The reason is that the carnage of battles of that era destroyed all the vegetation and plants turning it into barren wastelands. The poppy is uinique in that its seeds can lie dormant for 100 years underground and bloom when the soil is turned over. Hence as soon as battle stops they grow and flower fairly quickly.
Gardener and Z4 driver
Ewazix said:I felt very angry this weekend watching the antics of the lugubrious BBC boss George Entwistle flip flopping then jumping ship having been ragged by Jonn Humphries in a radio interview. He was later described as "heroically sacrificing himself for his colleagues" "had to go because he could not withstand sustained fire" and to top it all, the comatose BBC Grandee Chris Patten said he was "brave and honourable"!
This contrasted very poignantly with interviews and features on vet's of various ranks who actually know what leadership under fire looks like and have sacrifice seared on their bodies and minds. I hid a tear at one stage. It's a bloody good job they didn't £uck off after 54 days and unfortunately won't be taking a £450k package like the 'heroic' Mr Entwistle
I can tell you one thing as a veteran myself. A true war hero or a soldier that never saw action will never ever bring attention to themselves. A true veteran will always pay tribute to those that died to save others. A true veteran will always point to the fact that they themselves wish they could have done more to save others. A true hero veteran is always humble as it's impossible to be a hero when you only think of yourself before others. Hero's ALWAYS think of others before themselves.
Thinking of others before self is a concept that is unfortunately foreign to most politicians. :thumbsdown:
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[youtube]VAl0FRjEzCA[/youtube]
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A couple of verses from The Green fields of France.
When I first heard this song sung by June Tabor, I am not ashamed to admit that tears flowed.
When I first heard this song sung by June Tabor, I am not ashamed to admit that tears flowed.
.
Referring back to the comment about the BBC director general being "heroic" for resigning after making a pigs ear of things just reminded me that the word hero is grossly misused on a regular basis in modern-day life. In my organisation HR talk about 'hero specifications' for managers etc. What management B.S!
A hero in my eyes is someone who has put themself in the face of great danger to their own life in an effort to protect or save their friend, colleague, comrade, loved one etc.
I do also think that the word 'hero' is bandied around a little too often in the military these days. Are you a 'hero' in the truest sense of the word if you are at Camp Bastion repairing planes, tanks etc and never seeing active service? I'm not decrying the role of these people - they are highly valued individuals in my eyes and doing a brilliant job for us all, but heroes? not sure, I think should be reserved for a very special act of valour. What does everyone else think?
A hero in my eyes is someone who has put themself in the face of great danger to their own life in an effort to protect or save their friend, colleague, comrade, loved one etc.
I do also think that the word 'hero' is bandied around a little too often in the military these days. Are you a 'hero' in the truest sense of the word if you are at Camp Bastion repairing planes, tanks etc and never seeing active service? I'm not decrying the role of these people - they are highly valued individuals in my eyes and doing a brilliant job for us all, but heroes? not sure, I think should be reserved for a very special act of valour. What does everyone else think?
Hero - (female heroine) a person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great
Hero - noun
(plural) -roes
a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude, etc
a man who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field
(classical mythology) a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his exploits
Certainly not applicable to the ex-DG of the BBC. He's the complete opposite - a coward, and a waste of our money.
To those permanently in Camp Bastion ? Hmmm. They all aspire to the ideal of a hero, I think, but you have to do something heroic to be a hero. Getting to, treating, and saving a fellow soldier who is wounded under fire is herioc. Sacrificing yourself so that others are saved is herioc. Even spending your whole life dedicated to a cause and changing something about the human race or the planet for the good of mankind is herioc. To be fair, all of the servicemen and women are in harms way, all the time, and if the word seems overused then perhaps it is, for all the right reasons. Life is quite sh1t out there, and it must be some comfort to know that the country thinks so highly of you.
Hero - noun
(plural) -roes
a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude, etc
a man who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field
(classical mythology) a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his exploits
Certainly not applicable to the ex-DG of the BBC. He's the complete opposite - a coward, and a waste of our money.
To those permanently in Camp Bastion ? Hmmm. They all aspire to the ideal of a hero, I think, but you have to do something heroic to be a hero. Getting to, treating, and saving a fellow soldier who is wounded under fire is herioc. Sacrificing yourself so that others are saved is herioc. Even spending your whole life dedicated to a cause and changing something about the human race or the planet for the good of mankind is herioc. To be fair, all of the servicemen and women are in harms way, all the time, and if the word seems overused then perhaps it is, for all the right reasons. Life is quite sh1t out there, and it must be some comfort to know that the country thinks so highly of you.