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Remembrance, of the wrong kind and not enough. Wreaths, a short silence, sad music, a lonely trumpet, all to sublimate public rage into sorrow as though war was some unavoidable natural disaster.
The Cenotaph is inscribed “The glorious dead.” Keep your glory. Our ancestors would rather have had their sons, sweethearts and husbands back and alive. Keep your medals and ribbons, your “dead man’s pennies”, your cheery war songs and Owen’s immortal poetry. Give us work, family and humble daily love. Leave us alone, that’s how you will do it.
The lesson of the War to End All Wars was “don’t do it again” but you did, didn’t you? And you’re doing it again, even now in Eastern Europe.
In that lineup of soberly-clad Prime Ministers there are at least two who should answer in court for their war crimes. More if you count those who renew a pledge to assist neo-Nazis in their campaign to overthrow the Russian government and install another Yeltsin as we ransack their country for its mineral treasures.
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