Militarisation of our society

I don't think men in uniform marching and wearing medals is a symbol of the horrors of war on Remembrance Day. I'd prefer to see a quiet ceremony with the reading of something like Owen's Dulce et Decorum est. If you've forgotten it here it is

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
If it was read every year perhaps the message would get through.
I wouldn't mind the sounding of the Last Post as a military part.

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.

They wouldn't need it so much if they weren't sent into so many wars in other countries.

I agree totally Iam64 !

That's your view and of course you are entitled to it trisher. I was a bit taken aback by Your comment about people buying a red poppy or donating to Help for Heroes to make themselves feel better. I do both those things, not because I glorify war but as a mark of respect for those who serve, in remembrance of my grandfathers and my father (ww1 and ww2), and to donate cash to help service personnel who need it. It's nothing to do with making myself feel better and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

Good posts Greyduster. Remembrance Day in particular brings a tear to my eyes. Those dedicated people to whom we owe so much. They wear their medals with pride!
No I do not see it as militarisation or glorification of war.

Because the arms industry is big business and some people think that it makes us a better country if we send in the troops. Then they make themselves feel better about things by donating to Homes For Heroes or buying a red poppy.

Every year since the start of the century British troops have been fighting somewhere. Why?

I remember someone once saying "I don't support the war but I do support our men and women who are fighting it" That just about sums up my feelings.

Here we go again!

Reminding people to try to never let this happen again? There are wars going on all round the world - it is probably as bad as it's ever been - and we (and, of course, other countries) are complicit in it by progressing the research, development and sale of deadly weapons - and hosting the disgusting arms "fair" in Britain.

I agree that it is politicians who start wars (and they and their families are not usually the ones fighting them) but people are often supportive of their military actions and taken in by the notion that those who campaign against them are unpatriotic.

I don't think there is any evidence of militarisation.

Grey makes some excellent points re the thinking of ex military of which both Grampy and I consider ourselves part of and say so with pride.

We wear our medals on appropriate occasions to remember and salute those who fell in combat and who suffered afterwards for having taken part. Its a sign of respect and solidarity.

Also , on such occasions it has given us the opportunity to remind our children and thir children that war is and always should be the last resort and by remembering the fallen and the atrocities committed in the name of religion, power, greed and sheer bloody minded ness we may, just may avoid history repeating itself.

trisher I think there have been several commemorations in he past two or three years of the first World War and that may have brought this to the public's consciousness. There will be more next year of the 100th anniversary of the end of the war and the Armistice.
I think these events remind people of the horrors of war and I hope strengthen people's resolution to try never to let this happen again - but always to fight evil if we are faced with it.

Wearing a beret, a blazer badge, is a sign of identifying with comrades which many people, particularly men, seem to need. Many group have a sense of camaraderie such as the forces, miners etc and I don't think we are becoming more militarised. Indeed, the forces have been scaled back in recent years to a huge extent.
People could be wearing their father's medals and they are a sign that we live in freedom and have freedoms such as to post our views on here without fear of being arrested thanks to them.

Perhaps we should remember that it is politicians who start wars not the military.

The Blackman trial made me very uneasy ,we always complain about other countries military being " not of the same standard as British soldiers" yet we ...or rather his friends were all happy to acccept shooting a wounded man/prisoner ...double standards from the Brits? Surely not!

Yes trish I noticed that. It wasn't so much that they were wearing their uniform, but their behaviour that worried me.

It was the crowd outside the court at the Blackman trial that made me look at things more carefully. I know they were only supporting a comrade they felt had been victimised, but the fact that they seemed to have forgotten the fact that someone had been killed and they turned up with medals and berets disturbed me. I then started thinking about how many events now have a military feeling and people wearing uniforms and/or medals and it seemed to me they were on the increase.
Thanks for the Quaker report Eleothan

Bloody Hell!!!!

I think the government are psyching us up for conflict.

This hadn't occurred to me before trish

Band of the Coldstream Guards on Marr this morning, on Palm Sunday.

It's a bit worrying how much emphasis there is in militarism in schools according to that document, Eloethan.
I know there always have been cadet corps, but hadn't realised how much extra money had been put into it by Gove.

For those who are interested, here is the link to the Quaker report quakers-production.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/store/ad773bc324db6aacbd11526a24d9268b4c8431260273f5d0fc2c452989ca

I absolutely agree with you trisher. I find that there are more and more frequent mentions of either WWI or WWII in the national and local news and other programmes. Even on a property programme a few months ago there was an item about military equipment, with the presenter speaking about an armoured tank with such admiration and describing it as "magnificent".

The Quakers have produced a report which I feel backs up their belief that we are becoming increasingly militarised.

DH says there are two types of ex-soldiers. Those who want to get on with their lives and not talk about the things they saw and did and others who can't leave it behind for a variety of reasons whether that be the need for comradeship from others who have suffered war or the need to discuss ad infinitum. All are ways of dealing with the same horrific events. Different people have different needs.

What he can't stand are ex soldiers (like my BIL) who have never been in a combat situation telling young kids what a marvellous life it is and making it sound like one long adventure holiday.

I agree M0nica but I do wonder if this is part of the idea that there is something glorious and heroic about war. We know there are individual heroic acts but I worry that it is now being portrayed as something our fathers and grandfathers knew very well it wasn't and the wearing of medals and berets is an indication of this.