Why I No Longer Feel Comfortable Wearing a Poppy

[Geckos48]

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/madeleine-fry/poppy-day_b_4169581.html

very eloquently put. Exactly how I feel about the whole debacle.

November 11th should be for those who selflessly gave their lives in the World Wars, not those who chose to fight dubious campaigns abroad.

Also, FWIW, I've just completed a module on the WWs as part of my history degree. One of the first assignments was to analyse the reasons soliders voluntarily signed up between the start of the war in 1914 and 1916, when conscription began. I read many diarys, journals and letters written at the time. The reasons people signed up were very similar to the reasons I hear today. Many joined to escape poverty or because there were few opportunities where they lived. Some joined to serve their country and a few joined because they wanted to fight. Joining the army in 1914 meant going to war and probably killing people. Joining today does not necessarily mean going to war, especially as we withdraw from Afghan.

I disagree that we are a safe nation because of the armed forces, I think our armed forces destroys our safety and has done so consistently since the second world war.

What does your dad say when you say things like that to him Gecko, considering he was in the RAF?

Oh dear, oh dear. If ever we needed an example of "a little knowledge being a dangerous thing," here it is.

Gecko, you didn't answer the question regarding the woman whose Husband is a soldier.

Did you tell her how much you despise him and his colleagues because of their career choice?

You're argument in regards to Iraq seems to be that the government fucked up, then sent soliders in who did the best they could in a bad situation and made improvements, so you refuse to support soliders. I'm struggling with the logic.

Add message | Report | Message poster Geckos48 Fri 01-Nov-13 14:27:32

If the army were just about helping out firemen and sorting out the olympics I would definitely support them

I didn't help out at the Olympics, but as part of a UK Resiliance Tour I assisted during the national Firemans strike. The West Midlands Firemans strike, the Shropshire floods (every bloody year), the Tewkesbury and Worcester floods.

Does that cancel out my involvement in Bosnia and Iraq, or not?

The writer of the article linked to in the opening post says that she is in the minority because she wants peace. So the rest of us are war mongers champing at the bit for an incident that will send thousands to their deaths?

If you so annoyed at poppy day, get a biro and write on it that you are only wearing for conscripted soldiers from World Wars

Just after we were posted here we were watching the floods in Pakistan on the news. Our old neighbour came out of the back of a Chinook carrying food, he was an aircraft engineer of the same rank and trade as DH.

OP, having read this entire thread I can honestly say your ignorance is matched only by your stupidity. You ask questions which are the equivalent of asking what we would do if our currency was based on trading unicorn shit.

If you are so concerned about rebuilding countries please feel free to go actually do that instead of insulting our armed forces, the majority of whom do great work (check out lteve's posts if you need a reminder).

Before I hide this thread, lteve, I think you re brilliant.

Going back to a point made earlier it is disgraceful that there has to be a charity to suppport injured troops etc. But the same could be said of any charity, it would be perfect if the goverment handed money/housing/ wheelchairs and so on to those that need them. But they don't. So charities have to exist.

The poppies are to remember all those who died in conflict; in the case of our armed forces personnel, that is the personnel who were sent to that conflict by the government that you elected (or the electorate of the time had).

It does not glorify war or violence. It is to remember.

Isn't it really that simple?

Kim, I'm a soldier, not a politician or economist. Personally I'd rather we didnt sell our weapons systems to anyone and keep them to ourselves. But if we did that we wouldn't have gained any of the 'better' weapons systems that we are currently using.

Our kit isn't good enough for the job it needs to do. Not our weapons, not our IT, not our clothing, not our boots. The only way it will get better is the trading of kit and ideas with other forces and an injection of cash from the Government.

So I'm pragmatic. We need 'them' as much as they need 'us'

Geckos48

I disagree, the soldiers in WW1 had no way of knowing that they were not fighting for freedom.

Soldiers nowadays have reams of information available to them to show the real nature of the 'wars' we wage.

So your criteria for remembrance is ignorance? That seems apposite.

Soldiers today may have reams of information, but that makes no difference in where they get posted. If you are sent to a conflict you can't just say no.

If you go AWOL you will end up at MCTC (military corrective and training centre) as a detainee.

Without meaning to sound arse-licky, Lt-Eve, u think you're fantastic too.

And Yoni, from my one post about 10 pages ago on this - yes, it really IS that simple. Something that is beyond some people it seems.

Heck, I mean I think you're fantastic (how to look like an idiot!)

Bless you Gecko, you've really held your own amongst all the emotive tub-thumping.

"I'm against wars but for soldiers".

Really? Well I'm against guns, but pro-bullets. Those defenceless lumps of metal, fired into peoples chests against their will. What choice did they have, eh?

I applaud your patience Lteve.
It just shows that everyone needs to know,and understand,history and they wouldn't be left with the level of ignorance demonstrated by Geckos48, who has been rambling on all day without stopping to listen or reflect.

WITHREDWINE - How on earth does your brain compare metal with humans- There are really some strange views