A moving story Warwick.

"Whilst Anzac Day is a celebration of courage of men gone by, it also carries the hope that those men still exist today."

If you're hoping, you're dreaming. No one actually thinks the foppish, hair-gelled gameboy playing metrosexuals we see poncing around our cities are within coeee of the men who fought the Japanese. We could use them as decoys while country boys (and girls) did the fighting.

You have to respect your fellow man. You need to love your country. Bravery isn't blind rage. It's sticking it out when the going gets tough. Today's Biggest Loser doesn't care a fig for history and thinks Gallipoli is some sort of cocktail. Bravery for them is staying up until 4.00 am and going to work next day.

There's a caveat. Half the kids who are killed on our roads are bored brainless. They want to be crazy brave. Teach them discipline and respect for themselves and each other and you've got the bare makings of a soldier.

“Anzac Day gets its name from the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps, who fought in Gallipoli, Turkey in April 1915”, so it was more than strange that an old Digger was heard on radio saying how nice it was to have (in Australia), Turks, French, Germans and even Somalis march in the parades. We all know what ANZAC stands for, so why do we have non-Anzacs, even ex - enemies, marching in the Anzac marches? We also have Australians, who spent some time in uniform, but who never fought or went overseas marching and being accepted for RSL membership although they are not RETURNED soldiers.

Of course there are not many of the real Anzacs left; it is right and proper for returned soldiers of WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan (although the latter two are iffy: they are fighting for politicians, not our defence).But extending fraternity to people who neve fired a shot in anger, and even to people who fired a few at Australians troops, seems to indicate that the whole thing is getting a bit threadbare.

Now, before I’m accused of being like those anti-everything Australians I intensely dislike, I deeply respect and appreciate those who fought and died in both world wars, and in Korea. I am profoundly sorry for those men who were sent to Vietnam, which was never our war, particularly those who were conscripted. I have a normal respect for our current ADF, but they are being used for political purposes in places where they simply should not be.

Anzac Day is surely something that is meant to fizzle out as the world stops fighting major wars as a way to settling differences. Instead, it has been beaten up to be more of an Australia Day than Australia Day itself. While I do not believe for one minute that Anzac Day glorifies war, I can fully understand why some people do believe that it does, and that war is an important part of Australian psyche.

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I believe that this situation arises out of the fact that government after government in Australia has been hell bent on globalisation, multiculturalism, bowing to overseas interests and generally degrading Australian culture, that Anzac has been misguidedly used as a and expression of Australian pride. It still touches so many Australians, through actual involvement or through family ties, that people including the young, have seized on it as something uniquely Australian because Australian governments have taken much of the pride of being Australian away from them.

The author seems to have watched “Kokoda” last night as I did. The point is that most of the brunt of Kokoda was born not by professionals, but conscripted troops and volunteers. They, along with the AIF, when it was eventually seen fit to send them in to help the amateurs, were severely handicapped by incompetent commanders back in Australia who knew nothing of what the troops were suffering. Blamey even lied to Curtin that everything was going smoothly. It took an American, McArthur to reveal what dire straits Australians were in.

I agree with the author that we should be ever vigilant (which we are not, now) but with well-paid and well equipped professional troops. I have no objection to honouring conscripts and volunteers on Anzac day while they are still alive; but when they are gone, so should Anzac Day go. We are not militarists as a nation; and I hope that we are not the sort of people who approve of artificially and wrongly padding the ranks of marchers with people who are not true Anzacs.

As an aside, I have always been under the impression that it was the Kokoda TRAIL that so many Australians bravely fought on; not the Kododa TRACK, even though track is more Australian than trail. I also believe that the arch over the beginning of the climb says Kokoda Trail. Any comments?

Future wars will be very different from WWI and WWII, the same atrocities of using men as cannon fodder or trench warfare is being replaced with remote warfare, drones and advanced satellite and other communications. Not to mention the nuclear deterrent.

Like Leigh I hope we never have to confront another war and that these high tech deterrents will work in keeping global warfare at bay. There will always be civil war and other skirmishes as tensions in various nations rise.

Even if ANZAC Day were to cease, I believe men and women who put their lives at risk should be honoured for the sacrifice they make not only the potential loss of life but for the time they spend away from their families to do the jobs they do.

Most importantly and where many governments have failed is in the after-care of veterans who have made that sacrifice to serve their countries.

ANZAC Day is a spiritual day for many who remember the war dead and who honour those who fight in today's defence forces. I believe as Leigh said we will evolve away from using warfare to negotiate with other nations except in rare circumstances.

As for today's young, I think they might surprise you should they have to serve their country in the same way. People, including young folk, when faced with threat or a disaster have shown they can pull together during the tough times and can be very generous of spirit.

Very amusing Cheryl. I don't even know where to start with that bunch of generalisations and stereotypes.

A agree with pelican's last paragraph. I also think that kids are a lot more worldly and have access to a lot more information than the 17 year olds that were conned into fighting the Japanese at Kokoda.

You make me laugh every time I read your posts Cheryl and I've missed you the past few weeks. You must have been busy in your business hope everything's okay with you.

Agree with you post and btw many kids are bored today!