With the smoke of a global catastrophe swirling all around, I nearly forgot to mark the end of the Great War, the (the first stage of the) long-ago catastrophe that defined most of the 20th century, and is still causing chaos and suffering even today. Lest we forget.
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John Quiggin 
I’ve been wanting to post this for a number of years but have always been busy around this time. (It may be more appropriate for Anzac Day but I’ll post it now before I miss my chance again.)
I remember when I was at school in the 70’s, some WWII veterans came to talk about Anzac Day. They talked only about the ‘futility of war’. That is the term they used and that is indeed what they talked about. Nothing they said would have encouraged anyone to sign up or support any war. I have nothing but respect for them.
Without taking away from that point, I must say I don’t think that would still happen today. I’ve gotten plenty of hints that more recent veterans are still the same, but I think they would be gagged as ‘not supporting our troops’ where the word support is duplicitous.
I thought this was a beautiful and terribly sad recital. HT David Armstrong.
MartinK our Great and Powerful Friend across the water actually sends military recruiters into high schools to persuade kids to join up and become Heroes, thanked for their service by wretched civilians, lauded at major sporting events (which the Pentagon sometimes sponsors) and given dedicated parking spaces at the shops and seats on public transport. Thankfully we’re not that far gone yet, but that owes more to the professionalism and integrity of our general officers than to the intelligence or respect for democracy of our politicians.
Ken,
I really wanted to attempt to committ sedition in Columbia in response to American Government sedition in Venezuela. But because I do not speak Spanish that option was out of the question.
I can not see that my attempts to committ sedition in Australia have born any fruit.
But using this site as a needle so to speak to try to inject some viruses in to the minds of Australians has been quite entertaining. This site by allowing your comment also gives me the opportunity to question you about your higher reguard for Australian general officers than those from the USA.
The officers of both countries share the same Father so to speak. That father is not Ireland.
So how can you have much confidence that if Australian Generals were in the same shoes as American Generals that they would not act exactly the same way?
huhh??