As per usual the heads of state will make sure they have the best seats in the house to honour the war dead on Anzac Day, the very people who are sending off to battle more young people to be killed in their wars, but it is not me in the firing line, when in actual fact it should be.
How on earth can Abbott remember the war dead in Gallipoli and cry crocodile tears and lay a wreath in remembrance when he himself and others in Governments are the cause of the war dead, past and present.

This is a thoughtful piece. I particularly like the idea that when "we stand unquestioningly at ANZAC Day services, we do not honour the fallen. We give our political leaders the leverage to use our warranted emotions against us".

It seems to me the myth of ANZAC is that citizens rallied to the flag when war broke out without warning when in fact, Australia had been preparing since 1911 with the creation of there Govt Clothing factory and the small arms and ammunition factories. Staff work on the expeditionary force went on over three years to get that first convoy away quickly.

The legacy of ANZAC is a a repetition of committing Australians to wars started by big imperial powers against countries that posed not real threat to us.

Greg, you have come precisely to a problem with Anzac Day by pointing out its mistaken use as some kind of national inspirational symbol.
It's not. It's anything but.
Instead, it's a shameful reminder of how those in whom our country places its trust to lead, to build, to develop, to inspire us to become better off economically and attitudinally, fail us constantly.
Legendary analyst Carl von Clausewitz made the shrewd comment that war is an extension of politics by other means.
You are so right when you point our the industrial/miltary block's ability to manoeuvre governments into sustaining wars, winnable or otherwise.
I am not saying that these power groups were responsible for Australia's mistaken decision to support England's invasion of Turkey.
But the trick of combat glorification has been use ever since then to justify the failure of Australian politicians to abandom war as a first reaction to diplomatic failure, and get down to careful, tedious, long-term relationship building to ensure that our young folk are not killed off in our mad quests for miltary supremacy.

Another thing which I find intensely disturbing about the celebration of this horrific tragedy is the circus-like entertainment surrounding anything to do with it. It is treated like some kind of sporting grand final where millions of gullible followers are conditioned to enjoy participating in the bland jingoism of the day.
It is a day of shame and reverence, not one of festivity.

"I often wonder how many people actually know what they're standing outside for, or the full consequences of our national reverence on such a day." (the author)

I dectect a whiff of the put down, even a little sneer, in that sentence. When people say such things, they could mean that they do really think what they say, for reasons best know to them, but it usually means that they have a low opinion of anyone who doesn't know what they know.

Suffice to say, it is none of the author's business. It's what the individuals paying their respects to the fallen think that matters. They have made a good start by turning up early in often bitter conditions, in my book.

The don't need to be insulted. Hell, the man's never met "an Australian who can fully articulate what is meant by 'they sacrificed themselves for us'".

So, Gallipoli was a horrible mistake on the part of stupid Australians politicians acceding to the wishes of even more stupid Poms. There was no benefit. But why cannot people take a moment to think about the poor young men who were slaughtered.

No benefit? OK, ignore our dead. And insult their relatives.

The world's still a rotten place despite the sacrifice, Greg? Spot on. But it's through no fault of the men and women who have been killed in horrible ways - none of this 'dying', 'gave their lives', 'made the supreme sacrifice' rubbish - to protect us from Nazism and Communism and now Islamism. (That not a benefit?)

We've had a pretty good run since WW2; now, with what looks to the biggest threat ever, Greg want's us to hang up the gloves. He even hung his up because of the war on terror. (see bio).

Tony Abbott has gone to Gallipoli. He will make a speech that is stirring - for him.

On that ground, at that time, Tony will be an ANZAC By Association (ARSE) for all of us...

Sounds to me like Greg failed in an attempt at an army career, & is all bitter & twisted because of his failure.