I was feeling quite down about one thing and another. Then I turned on the TV and learned that a protester had thrown a pot of paint at Charles and Camilla's Bentley and it cheered me up no end.
I understand how you feel, and being rather sentimental myself am deeply sympathetic, but desecration implies consecration, doesn't it? And seems to me that the thing to which the cenotaph is consecrated is not your dead relatives, but the national cultus, militant and triumphant. Charles, his Bentley, and the cenotaph, are all of a piece, at least symbolically.
The fact that the very idea of such desecration fills wemyss with nationalistic outrage, to my mind, strongly suggests that I am right, too. You cannot pine for a more courageous and politically active youth, one day, then lament how they went too far, the next. I mean, you can, obviously, but it plays right into the hands of the ruling class as they seek to divide the opposition.
If you want to find the Sergeant, I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is. If you want to find the Sergeant, I know where he is, He's lying on the canteen floor. I've seen him, I've seen him, lying on the canteen floor, I've seen him, I've seen him, lying on the canteen floor.
If you want to find the Quarter-bloke I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is. If you want to find the Quarter-bloke, I know where he is, He's miles and miles behind the line. I've seen him, I've seen him, miles and miles and miles behind the line. I've seen him, I've seen him, miles and miles and miles behind the line. If you want the Sergeant-major, I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is. If you want the Sergeant-major, I know where he is. He's tossing off the privates' rum. I've seen him, I've seen him, tossing off the privates' rum. I've seen him, I've seen him, tossing off the privates' rum.
If you want the C.O., I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is. If you want the C.O., I know where he is He is down in a deep dug-out, I've seen him, I've seen him, down in a deep dug-out, I've seen him, I've seen him, down in a deep dug-out.
If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are, I know where they are, I know where they are If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are, They're hanging on the old barbed wire, I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire. I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.
My thinking exactly: it is ridiculous to think that, among all Britain's war dead, not one would have opposed the class warfare being ginned up by the Torries.
I find this obsession with the heroic dead to be invariably authoritarian, if not openly fascist. Franconic Spain was obsessed with the dead, as were the Nazis. The Valle de los Caídos is still highly controversial, as well it should be. In WWII Germany, each death's-head SS ring was to be recovered and returned to Himmler, where they were kept in a special chest. There were plans to build a huge quasi-religious memorial complex in Bavaria, but the Third Reich did not last that long.
One of the reasons often given for pursuing hopeless wars- like the current one in Afghanistan- is that giving it up would be an admission that the heroic dead have died in vain.
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branchandroot
Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-10 11:24 am (UTC)The fact that the very idea of such desecration fills wemyss with nationalistic outrage, to my mind, strongly suggests that I am right, too. You cannot pine for a more courageous and politically active youth, one day, then lament how they went too far, the next. I mean, you can, obviously, but it plays right into the hands of the ruling class as they seek to divide the opposition.
Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-10 12:15 pm (UTC)They'd have mocked at the cult that has grown up around them.
Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-10 01:42 pm (UTC)we're here because
we're here...
Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-10 02:21 pm (UTC)I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the Sergeant, I know where he is,
He's lying on the canteen floor.
I've seen him, I've seen him, lying on the canteen floor,
I've seen him, I've seen him, lying on the canteen floor.
If you want to find the Quarter-bloke
I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want to find the Quarter-bloke, I know where he is,
He's miles and miles behind the line.
I've seen him, I've seen him, miles and miles and miles behind the line.
I've seen him, I've seen him, miles and miles and miles behind the line.
If you want the Sergeant-major,
I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want the Sergeant-major, I know where he is.
He's tossing off the privates' rum.
I've seen him, I've seen him, tossing off the privates' rum.
I've seen him, I've seen him, tossing off the privates' rum.
If you want the C.O.,
I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is.
If you want the C.O., I know where he is
He is down in a deep dug-out,
I've seen him, I've seen him, down in a deep dug-out,
I've seen him, I've seen him, down in a deep dug-out.
If you want to find the old battalion,
I know where they are, I know where they are, I know where they are
If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are,
They're hanging on the old barbed wire,
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.
I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.
Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-11 10:24 am (UTC)I find this obsession with the heroic dead to be invariably authoritarian, if not openly fascist. Franconic Spain was obsessed with the dead, as were the Nazis. The Valle de los Caídos is still highly controversial, as well it should be. In WWII Germany, each death's-head SS ring was to be recovered and returned to Himmler, where they were kept in a special chest. There were plans to build a huge quasi-religious memorial complex in Bavaria, but the Third Reich did not last that long.
Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-11 03:26 pm (UTC)Re: Eggs and omelettes, I'm afraid
Date: 2010-12-12 12:46 pm (UTC)