Saturday 10 May 2014

Rant against war

Rant re war

Surely I'm not alone in thinking that we live in a crazy world? A world where our Government seems to think that war is justifiable and then spends much of its time nuancing its troops’ behaviour?
Surely any sane person hates the very idea of war. It’s a very inefficient way of settling differences between nations and causes untold suffering. We wouldn’t allow neighbours in our housing estates to settle their arguments in such a brutal way, so why is it acceptable for countries? I was ashamed at the time of the Falklands War when we had newspaper headlines calling on our troops to “Bash the Argies”. They certainly didn't express my viewpoint.

Recently we have had a discussion about the role of women in our armed services.

Sir Richard Dannatt is quoted as saying, “To be in a unit that is given orders to attack a hill, to attack a town, to attack a village, that is a role not for women." He seems to be saying that it’s quite normal for a man to bayonet, shoot or blow up another human being but that it’s not alright for a woman. If he had said it was anathema for any human being to do such a thing, he would have had my full support, but to suggest that only men are brute beasts is patronising in the extreme. In the interests of equality women should surely be allowed to be just as base as men if they so wish? At least, if war can ever be justified.

 Next, photographs surfaced which appeared to show at least one UK serviceman posing with a dead Taliban fighter.  These photos are being treated "extremely seriously", the RAF says. The pictures were taken after a 2012 attack on Camp Bastion, UK troops' main base in Afghanistan. Two RAF Regiment members have been withdrawn from front-line duties.

The taking of so-called trophy photographs is strictly forbidden and military police are investigating.
Two photographs appear to show at least one member of the RAF Regiment giving a thumbs-up sign while kneeling next to the bloodied body of a dead insurgent.

The RAF Regiment is the ground fighting force of the Royal Air Force.

A spokesman said the RAF had a "zero-tolerance policy on the mistreatment of deceased enemy personnel", adding that the case was being treated "extremely seriously" and is the focus of an RAF Police investigation.

BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Adams says much will depend on what investigators make of the images. There is no suggestion the fighter was shot in cold blood or abused afterwards, but the incident could represent a breach of the Geneva Conventions.

As you read these words does it not strike you as an extremely weird world view that says it’s reprehensible to take photos of a dead body, but that it’s quite alright, indeed laudable, to kill the person in the first place? 

The human race has had only a short time, in global terms, to learn peace. But we need to learn, we really do.


Peace be with you. (Whether you agree with me or not)

Monday 28 April 2014

Open letter to Nathan Filer

This is my very first blog! Ever! It takes the form of an open letter addressed to the author of "The Shock of the Fall" - Nathan Filer

Dear Nathan,

This is an attempt to thank you for your book. Let me say at the very outset, I believe that you are a very good writer and that everyone should read "The Shock of the Fall". When I had read the first page I knew that you could write, and write well. By the time I had read about 50 pages I tweeted you to say I was enjoying the book. That was true at the time, but now I have finished the book and I realise that that was an inadequate comment! Before I retired I was a Church Minister. I have lost count of the number of times people shook hands with me after a service and said, "I enjoyed your sermon". Often that was the wrong response! The sermon was meant to challenge and  make the hearer reexamine previously held views. It was meant to make them uncomfortable. It was certainly not meant to be enjoyed. If you enjoyed it you had missed the point! By the time I reached the end of your book I had been made to reexamine my views of grief, on guilt and culpability, on death and mental illness. This was not a pleasant business. I did not enjoy it. But I am very glad I read the book. I don't want to include any details of the book because that would spoil it for potential readers.

In the Q & A session at the end of the book you are asked, "What would you like the reader to take away from your novel?" to which you reply,"A desire to share it." I do desire to share it! Hopefully some who read my blog will take my advice and make the effort to read it. It will be well worth the effort and they will be glad they did.


To conclude, Nathan, thankyou for a most stimulating and challenging book. I am so glad that I read it and I await with eager anticipation reading more of your writing.

Sincerely,

Clive.