One of the things that I "remembered" during my minute's silence just now was that WW1 was touted as "the war to end all wars"...

Well said John Passant, SJF, bennie and Bronwyn.

Lest we forget.

SJF,

There is a reason for remembering and it's not about glory or honour. If you really thought about it, you'd realise that not putting time aside to remember the wars and the horror that they brought, simply makes the bad memories fade, people forget how bad it was and the subsequent consequences.

Bronwyn,

I think you make a lot of assumptions about people 'celebrating' war. Remebrance Day is far from a celebration. I certainly don't know any one who celebrates the wars. But to ignore it can be even worse. If you read what I wrote previously you would have also seen that I was certainly not supporting and 'history lessons' being espoused on this day...by anyone of any viewpoint or leaning.

Just because you see me criticising this author does not mean I support what he is criticising. I am simply criticising how he chooses to publicise his views, and anyone else doing the same for any particular political agenda for that matter. It's a day of remembrance, not for political points scoring.

Honour the brave....
Just think if we didn't have all those brave people willing to kill and die for cause X then we wouldn't have wars.
The world would be a better place if we were all not brave enough to kill. So tell me again why we should honour the brave killers?

Individually, our views on war are shaped by our politics

Which is just the way it should be, since War is always political.

So, determining whether it is all a capitalist conspiracy or communist plot is personal, just as are our politics.

None of this in any way diminishes the courage and selflessness of all those who went to war on our behalf, whether as volunteers or conscripted.

For me, Remembrance Day is about them, not about us.

We can sit here and say "if only", but that is actually a luxury afforded to us, by them.

I for one am grateful, and will happily refrain from making tacky political points over their dead bodies..

Interesting that some people criticise me for questioning the outcome of the fight for the soul of Remembrance Day.

On another post something SJF said reminded me of more airbrushing of history and it fits neatly with the disucssion here.

While our working class soldiers were fighting for democracy in France and Turkey and other places, Billy Hughes made illegal membership of a political organisation called the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Why? Because they campaigned strongly against conscription, against the imperialist war and had a following among some sections of workers.

The police confiscated their paper, smashed up their printing press and barricaded their doors shut.

The IWW views were not too dissimilar to mine on the war. Should I suffer the same fate?

Oppositon to the war (or some aspects of it) was large in Australia and grew as the horrors became clearer. The conscription referenda both lost as unions, some of the ALP, the Catholic church and others (including the IWW)campaigned against it.

Class struggle engufled Australia. For example in NSW in 1917 there was a general strike.

In fact some returning soldiers were among the most radical sections of society.

Pity we don't hear about the working class history of Australia, just the ruling class version.

Wars will always be with us until we get rid of religion & royalty in all its forms and disguises,take a close look at Nepal, perhaps not a war but close to it. Yes! a lot of young men have died in all wars, many really didn't know what they were fighting for, 1st world war,King & Country, I most certainly would not want to put my life down for any King, I may for our country if invaded.
Politicians and a Queen today lay wreaths on monuments, stand in silence to remember the young men that they sent off to war but would not admit it, what hypocrites, in the old days these people led the troops, we should get back to doing the same now, I am sure wars would very quickly come to an end,it is always nice for someone elses life as long as it is not mine, same as the people in favour of wars.
Yes I do remember with sorrow relatives & othe men & women who lsid downtheir lives in all wars, I feel sorry for them, lives cut short, there is know none evidence that you go to a better place.
I also did compulsary army conscipition when 18 years old back in 1954, I really never knew why I was there but now know I was being trained to become cannon fodder, of course this would be denied, but it was true.
I agree with the writer, take a look at yourselves, go off to war, get killed, then I can stand and lay a wreath, then I can go back to work and forget you ever existed until the next year.