" War is the statesman's game, the priest's delight,
The lawyer's jest, the hired assassin's trade "
from " Queen Mab " by Percy Shelley.
In the notes that Shelley wrote accompanying his epic poem, he quoted Godwin's Enquirer on the subject of what is a soldier? :
"Its first constituent is obedience: a soldier is, of all descriptions of men, the most completely a machine; yet this profession inevitably teaches him something of dogmatism, swaggering and self-consequence: he is like the puppet of a showman, who, at the very time he is made to strut and swell and display the most farcial airs, we perfectly know cannot assume the most insignificant gesture, advance either to the right or the left, but as he is moved by his exhibitor. "
These words were written over 200 years ago but still have resonance in my book.
Particularly Shelley's for war truly is " the statesman's game ". Politicians start wars, ordinary people do not. Politicians crave war, ordinary people do not.
Politicians and the Establishment call the fallen " heroes ", yet I would argue that ALL dead people in wartime are actually " victims ", but of course this term would not suit the glorification of " the fallen " that suits " the statesman's game ".
I am truly sorry for all those who have lost their lives in past conflicts and for those who are about to lose their lives around the world's trouble spots.
I am not a pacifist ( although I'd like to be ) since I subscribe to the view that occasionally a war must be fought ( WW2 being the best example in recent time ). Unfortunately, most conflicts are not necessary, the madness going on in Afghanistan at present being the perfect example.
Over here in the UK, the body bags containing British dead bodies are regularly paraded through a small place named Wootton Bassett. Many of the locals line the street to " show their respects " for the fallen. They claim they do it for the purest reasons, that their show of respect is non-political.
I say it is a political act, that these no doubt well-meaning souls are helping to maintain the status quo, which is to continue the action in Afghanistan, thereby ensuring these ghastly parades will continue until the statesmen see sense or are forced by public opinion to think again.
I wouldn't object if the good people of Wootton Bassett turned out for the parade bearing banners saying " troops out now " or some such phrase, but they don't......not yet anyway.
The lawyer's jest, the hired assassin's trade "
from " Queen Mab " by Percy Shelley.
In the notes that Shelley wrote accompanying his epic poem, he quoted Godwin's Enquirer on the subject of what is a soldier? :
"Its first constituent is obedience: a soldier is, of all descriptions of men, the most completely a machine; yet this profession inevitably teaches him something of dogmatism, swaggering and self-consequence: he is like the puppet of a showman, who, at the very time he is made to strut and swell and display the most farcial airs, we perfectly know cannot assume the most insignificant gesture, advance either to the right or the left, but as he is moved by his exhibitor. "
These words were written over 200 years ago but still have resonance in my book.
Particularly Shelley's for war truly is " the statesman's game ". Politicians start wars, ordinary people do not. Politicians crave war, ordinary people do not.
Politicians and the Establishment call the fallen " heroes ", yet I would argue that ALL dead people in wartime are actually " victims ", but of course this term would not suit the glorification of " the fallen " that suits " the statesman's game ".
I am truly sorry for all those who have lost their lives in past conflicts and for those who are about to lose their lives around the world's trouble spots.
I am not a pacifist ( although I'd like to be ) since I subscribe to the view that occasionally a war must be fought ( WW2 being the best example in recent time ). Unfortunately, most conflicts are not necessary, the madness going on in Afghanistan at present being the perfect example.
Over here in the UK, the body bags containing British dead bodies are regularly paraded through a small place named Wootton Bassett. Many of the locals line the street to " show their respects " for the fallen. They claim they do it for the purest reasons, that their show of respect is non-political.
I say it is a political act, that these no doubt well-meaning souls are helping to maintain the status quo, which is to continue the action in Afghanistan, thereby ensuring these ghastly parades will continue until the statesmen see sense or are forced by public opinion to think again.
I wouldn't object if the good people of Wootton Bassett turned out for the parade bearing banners saying " troops out now " or some such phrase, but they don't......not yet anyway.
A man is born to a virgin mother, lives, dies, comes alive again and then disappears into the clouds to become his Dad. How likely is that?
