We Shall Never Forget
I'm slightly concerned that more people replied to a post entitled "When did you last have sex" than replied to this thread.
I cannot begin to comprehend the immense efforts of Britsh and Commonwealth soldiers and soldiers of other nations (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Poland, Norway, Russia etc. etc.). In all ways I am grateful and full of appreciation for the many men who fought so bravely and for the sacrifice of many men and families (they lost dads and sons) on that day and on everyday of the second great war of the twentieth century. Can you imagine the ways in which people died during that war? Slowly burning in the carnage of a wrecked tank or of paratroopers drowning in the flooded fields of france, unable to free themselves from the sucking mud? It seems that many Germans are unable to understand our (British) determination to remember that war - but may we never forget the nature of our enemy during that war. But at least we know that another nutter will not come along and try to unite the nations of Europe! (Crazy really - Napoleon tried to unite Europe and We, the Prussians, the dutch etc. managed to put an end to that crazy idea, and then Hitler came along and tried to do the same and his plans were shattered, and now our politicians are trying to further unite Europe in a manner that surely cannot ever succeed. I could write for hours on this matter but won't as I am not the most informed person in the world). It makes one think really. Were we justified to invade Iraq? Probably not, on reflection. Iraq was never a threat and I'm sure we could have helped the Iraqi people more had we not gone in there, destabilised the country, ruined there already not great infrastructure, killed 10,000 + civilians (did you know that there are no official figures for the number of civilian dead? What does that say about our concern for ordinary Iraqi's if we don't even bother to count their dead - although the red cross and other organisations provide 'reliable' estimates) and become even more hated around the world. Certainly I am ashamed that our allies abused prisoners at Abu Ghraib (not sure if I'm more disappointed that we used Saddams torture chambers to incarcerate prisoners). Also I am really dismayed by the reduced freedom of our countrues (US and UK) since that war. Come on America - stop holding people in detention indefinately - I refer to Guantanamo Bay and other locations (the US refuse to tell the world where they are keeping all of their prisoners or how many are being detained in secret and unreleased locations around the world). Charge them or let them go! (One European country (maybe it was a scandinavian country) take a different and RIGHT approach. They closely watch people they suspect of engaging in acts of terrorism RATHER THAN JUST ARRESTING THEM AND DETAINING THEM WITHOUT CHARGE! Charge them or let them go - some of these people have been detained for months. And we (UK) are just as bad, but I feel that UK troops take a more softly, softly approach and are less inclined to go in all guns blazing unlike some US troops (Fallujah, Najaf) - maybe it is because we have centuries experience of dealing with invading other countries (the Empire, Northern Ireland etc.) or some cynics might suggest that we are just a small assortment of about 8,000 troops in the releatively peaceful south or Iraq and hence never get exposed to the same situations as the US troops (100,000 odd men) in the north.
I don't mean to have a go at the US - I love the US, US people and US culture (music, films food, clothes, values) - but when you read about some of the stuff that you guys get up to in the world I despair! And its us as well.
The US should not be HATED around the world. The US helped to liberate so many countries 60 years that the world should be in Americas debt. The US has consistently defended democracy and IS helping and HAS elped so many nations. Maybe the US needs to review its foreign policy. On september 11th the war against terrorism was brought to the attention and every ordinary person in the western world - but I'm afraid the terrorists are winning the war in one respect - they have made our great and free countries less great and less free.
