On the 11th of November 1918 Private Arthur Wrench of the Seaforth Highlanders wrote in his diary:
“I think it is quite hopeless to describe what today means to us. We who will return to tell people what war really is surely hope that 11 am this day will be of great significance to generations to come. Surely this is the last war that will ever be between civilised nations.”
Thanks to Christian Art:
https://mailchi.mp/856e77cfcc4e/john-622-29-andy-warhol-do-not-work-for-food-that-cannot-last-but-for-food-that-endures-to-eternal-life-13419936?e=58a06b433d
for spotting this.
We must hope that, in addition to the politicians' belligerent posturings, somebody somewhere, for the sake of today's private soldiers (and Ukrainian civilians) somebody somewhere is trying to broker a peace.
The Ukrainian soldiers seem to be doing a pretty good job liberating the Ukrainian civilians on their own, I’m not sure they need any help.
ReplyDeleteWith a friend in Kyiv, suffering from rolling blackouts, mental stress from listening out for sirens and making her way to the Metro station, plus approaching winter, I am more concerned with the standard of Ukrainian life away from the front line.
DeleteYou might think differently if you were Ukrainian. I know if my country was invaded I would be more concerned with making sure the invaders were evicted from every last inch of our territory than my own paltry discomfort.
DeleteChurchill famously preferred "Jaw, Jaw" to "War, War" and I agree with him. I'd be even more passionate about it if i were the parent of a young Ukrainian or Russian, drafted, cajoled or tempted into the armed forces by "that old lie, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori ."
ReplyDeleteChurchill famously preferred "Jaw, Jaw" to "War, War" and I agree with him.
DeleteWell, yes, but at the point someone has invaded your country, though, jaw jaw isn't going to get rid of them, is it?
I presume you don't think that Churchill should have jaw-jawed with Hitler after Dunkirk and come to an agreement that we would let him have France in return for an undertaking that he would not try to invade Britain?