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Travesty of War: Lest we Forget
by peptide Tuesday, Apr 24 2007, 1:37pm
national / peace/war / commentary

For reasons too numerous to cite, I weep as I write this piece. Today is the highly emotive, for Aussies and Kiwis, ANZAC day – a day of remembrance and commemoration for those who desperately seek a national identity in a modern alienated society. Yet constructing a national identity based on WAR is fraught with a multitude of obvious dangers. NOTHING valid or sane exists that could glorify War. WAR is the lowest form of human expression; those who attempt to glorify war deserve our unrelenting critical attention. Those who attempt to exploit highly emotive mythologised events deserve to be questioned. What are their real intentions and does a tailored view of what was essentially a military debacle really enhance national identity? Also, who is likely to capitalise on highly emotive mythologies that depress the critical and discriminative faculties? The nature of social power relations associated with a particular myth may assist in delivering some answers.

Aussies -- Gallipoli

It didn’t take long for certain political interests to make a loathsome juxtaposition -- the memory of ANZAC cove with the criminal action in Iraq and the wholesale slaughter of civilians in the Middle East. The feeble and very transparent attempt to connect a national day of remembrance to an illegal war was broadcast by ABC (government) newsradio today, “the ANZACs would be proud of our forces in the Middle East”, stated the traitorous and servile announcer. Aussies would require little urging to condemn this obvious propaganda ploy from the criminal Howard government – we will not be beguiled or duped as we once were by similar interests that led millions to the slaughter in WWI.

Those of us who remember the short interviews with surviving ANZACs recall very clearly how those old soldiers unanimously condemned war, especially the futility and travesty of the ‘Great War’. Who is it today that dares to exploit the dead with the most feeble and transparent propaganda imaginable? The penalty should suit the crime and the crime is the conscious pursuit of an illegal war, a modern holocaust of 660,000 dead civilians! WHO OR WHAT IS SERVED BY GLORIFYING WAR? Wonder no longer, I quote from a recent article direct from the forces of destruction: “The de-facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing.” [Link below.]

‘Lest we forget’ the culpable coalition of willing criminals and the wholesale slaughter occurring at this moment in the Middle East. Are Australians such fools they would be distracted by K-Mart propaganda or led by neo-imperial forces to their deaths or to murder innocents? For what and for whom do we kill and die, for NOTHING more important than wealth for the FEW! ARE WE SO SOFT IN THE HEAD AND BLIND THIS ANZAC DAY that we cannot determine the obvious truth or see the glaring travesty?

The conservative Minister of Defence, well known turncoat Brendan Nelson, attempted to milk the occasion for all it was worth by quoting from the anthem, “ ... let us rejoice, for we are young and free;” – FREE FROM WHAT, Mr. (turncoat) Nelson? Are we free from your government's enslaving debt strategies? Are we free to experience inequality and inequity; are we free to witness Corporations make thousands of millions in profits while our hospital and education systems go to wrack and ruin? But of course we are free to participate in criminal warfare and murder innocents – is that the ‘freedom’ to which you refer, you despicable fraud? But to continue with the anthem, “we've golden soil and wealth for toil..”, but we have no WATER – a direct result of government negligence and incompetence. Are we FREE to experience inept, corrupt and thoroughly incompetent government, Mr. infantile propagandist?

It is now incumbent on every Australian to remember the sobering words of our veterans. Those who would exploit this Remembrance Day with brazen (and criminal) propaganda to justify the most horrific holocaust of the 21st century deserve our thorough contempt.

The need for everyone to unite as one human family overrides the need for counterfeit nationalism or tribal identity. I refer to the foot soldiers of opposing sides in WWI who layed aside their weapons to embrace one Christmas. I also refer to the ANZACs and Turkish foot soldiers exchanging food rations in the field of battle, beef jerky for figs – THESE EVENTS WERE THE BRIEF MOMENTS OF SANITY in an otherwise insane conflict. Who is it that derives wealth from the blood of our youth?

Is it not time to apprehend the brazen war criminals of today; have we finally learnt from the travesties of the past and present?

Peace.

We are ONE.

See:
http://cleaves.zapto.org/clv/newswire.php?story_id=480


[Please forward or link this piece to all voting Australians.]

Turks -- Gallipoli