General Chat

had a cry earlier when i watched an armastice day programm e on the history channel.it was when the first world war came to a halt on christmas day.when the germans put dowm their guns and the british and drank beer together and played football.then on the 26th december shots were fired and they all started to kill each other.very moving.lets just hope that some peace will come into the world when this christmas falls upon usxxxxxxx):

Sadly, since time began there have been wars - for the slightest or most valid reasons, boths sides feeling they are in the right and have just cause to slaughter the opposition. There is a war going on somewhere in the world no matter what. I agree - it would be wonderful if there was peace - we can but hope

sheila i have always said there are no winners in war.if there is death and distruction then both sides have lostxxxxxx):

"If war is the answer, we're asking the wrong question"

Neither of my grandfathers would talk much about their experiences in WW1. Once my little brother asked one of them, 'Did you kill anyone in the war, Granda?' Granda instantly got teary-eyed and walked away saying quietly, 'Oh, God, I hope not!' My mother mentioned once the fact that her father had spoken of the Christmas Day festivities at the front lines and how if anything brought home the point that he was firing at real men with real families, just like him, that did, and that war was a 'bad, bad, business.' It bothers me no end that schools are considering not teaching history - how can we learn to do better if we don't learn what history can teach us? Trouble is, there's always someone who wants more power/control and always a society that lets it happen. What if they had a war and nobody came?

Most wars are caused by politicians who usually find themselves nice safe places to see it through. Old soldiers who have seen what its all about prefer to try and forget although they never can. The orgy of remembrance every November makes them feel very low. There are always a few psychopaths who like killing people. I met a few. Soldiers never expect to die or be maimed any more than the average motorist - it will always be the other bloke. So most of them did not sacrifice themselves. They were killed. I was called up just after my 18th birthday in 1942. I thought it would be exciting and an adventure. I hadn't a clue. By 1943/4 I was sadly disillusioned. There's scarcely a day of my life when I don't recall it. Watch a remembrance service? Not on your life. Len

Len, what wisdom you speak! My husband and I were just talking today about how it seems bizarre that as men in power get older they seem to be more inclined to be warmongers and want to put their mark on the world; almost especially when they have no real experience of what war is really like. It strikes us as ridiculous too, that war is glorified, and words such as 'sacrifice' are bandied about. Soldiers generally are praying to come home in one piece. (Psychopaths excepted of course, but they're the ones who would be starting the war in the first place if they could.) Only those who served on the sidelines or not at all seem to have this idealistic view that the war was the best time of their lives. No-one involved in the thick of it sees it as anything other than it really is - a tragedy for everyone touched by it.

my philosophy is simple........if people like bush,or blair,want to go to war...let them put on the uniform...lead from the front...lets see how keen they are then! bryan.

The tragedy is Bryan, that when that really happened and kings personally led their armies into battle, it didn't seem to stop things. Kings even had suits of armour made for their small sons, so the next generation was, to their minds, fully trained and prepared.

hy felicity,as you know,ime your biggest fan,but how can you compare george bush,with the kings of the past....they were brave men...he is all mouth,and no do...i stand by what i said....wished you lived in the uk,and we sat opposite each other at dinner...would be a great..bridget jones experience lol... bryan.

Hi there, Bryan. I wasn't comparing George Bush to the kings of old, just commenting that wars still happened even when kings led their troops into battle. Couldn't agree with you more that those kings were far more brave than any world leader today. At least in olden times, leaders had the courage of their convictions - they led their troops into battle and taught their children to do the same. It's a point of conflict here in the US that none of the politicians, especailly those who shout loudest about going to war, have any of their family members at risk, much less are willing to be at risk themselves.

Baz you are so right. Agree totally WARS are started by people in Power then the masses have to fight for what is seen to be "the right cause". Propaganda is the tool of WAR it makes ordinary people lay down the lives for what they are told to believe whether its now or in the past to me the working class should only have one war to free all the working class, as we get more wealth the fight should be for others to obtain what they work so hard for, what our Ancestors worked so hard for (with no reward, except maybe for some the workhouse). The people in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa suffer the same as our ancestors did. The working class should refuse to fight their own people, no matter what the colour of the skin, no matter what the religion is, no matter where they come from, until the people of the world realise the fight is not armed combat but JUSTICE, there will always be WAR. Pat

That is my main point really, Baz, that war is always a tragedy and nothing good really ever comes of it. Even when the aim is to 'rescue' there are often awful repercussions no-one imagined. When I spoke of bravery though, I meant that warriors who lead their troops into battle, who put themselves at the front line and at physical risk, are demonstrating more in the way of physical courage and/or the courage of their convictions than those who lead a war from the warmth and security of a 'war room' and risk nothing personal but their reputations. I agree that even though there is little hope for a peaceful world in my or even my grandchildren's lifetimes, all war is and always has been an abomination and there has to be a better way.

I would not wish a war on anyone, it is such a sad waste of life. The question of what is a war good for?, well I suppose it keeps the population down, imagine if all those millions who lost their lives in the 2 World wars, were able to live normal reproductive lives, what would unemployment be like today? Makes you think, although still wouldn't want wars to achieve that end.