Would You Die For This Country?

[Colmc54]

The government is launching a multi-million pound army recruitment campaign, there must be a reason why. The country in question is the UK, soon not to be the UK if the people currently resident in Scotland decide to jump ship.

So my question is would you die for your country? What would you actually think you were giving your life for, and could the bravest stance be if nobody signed up to serve in the army of the party-political playground of psychopathy that is the politics of our state.

If your answer is yes, as someone who will be 60 this year whose answer is no, would you mind explaining to me why you could possibly be so inclined?

[emmie]

interesting question, as others have said for your family, your community, as those who died in WW1, WW2 did, they may not have thought about King and country, most don't, nor Queen and country, until perhaps push came to shove. If you were under threat of invasion, say by Germany, hypothetically speaking, they bombed us, sent troops across the channel, would you sit idly by and let it happen, if they had another Hitler on the horizon, would that then persuade you to protect your homeland, because i know i would, old as i am.

I posted a question of this nature long time ago, and stated the obvious, that we are now a very mixed bag of people's like it or not, and would those who have come from Pakistan, India, Somalia, US, Afghanistan France and as many countries you can think of who have settled here fight for UK, would Scotland if it gains it's independence, i don't think they would, after all if it came to another world conflict, it might mean British fighting against some of their kindred, how would have pan out.

[emmie]

jordy, we had those people before, they got off their backsides because the country was under threat, no one is born a soldier, defender of the family, country, it happens because of a perception or knowledge that to live under an oppressive regime would be worse than death, ask yourself this, if Germany attacked us would you take up arms, or let them run over us with a tank, set up camps to exterminate the Jews, Gays, Intelligensia, and more besides, it doesn't have to be Germans, as i said it's entirely hypothetical, because no one really knows what they would do, same as in a major crises, you don't know till it happens.

[Colmc54]

First, sorry if I was responsible for for the Scottish supremacist-mocking diversion. Maybe it's because I'm Scottish that my repugnance at the SNP led me to be distracted from the core issue of my question. I apologise.

Second, I once lived in a village called Heckington where every year (at least until I moved) there used to be a reunion of the Arnhem raid veterans, one or two of whom I got to know well.

Yes there are some threats that any ordinary man in the street would pluck up what courage he had and sign up to preserve his family's future prospects and his way of life. That is what they did and we should be grateful for their bravery and the price paid by so many.

But today our families' future prospects and our way of life have been betrayed by the political class of this country such that our young people feel they are being replaced, and our way of life with it.

Perhaps that is why young people are too disillusioned to join the armed forces and face the prospect of dying for something that no longer exists, or whose days are surely numbered.

Our politicians (no bias) with the help of their allies in the media want to turn our youth into the compliant Eloi fed on dreams and platitudes. I think the political class need to realise they're not as dumbed down as they would love them to be. I hope, despite all the millions in advertising they will throw at them, I hope for their sakes our young people give them the finger, pack their back-packs, and get out of the UK while the going's good.

It is youth that fights wars. Why should they defend the indefensible with their lives?

Why should they fight for a country that they don't matter in anymore.

[Old_Geezer]

I believe one isn't given much of a choice when push comes to shove.

[Hypognosis]

//Our politicians (no bias) with the help of their allies in the media want to turn our youth into the compliant Eloi fed on dreams and platitudes. //

Eloi is such a great term of abuse. The word has come to mind several times in recent months. (But not while using AB, I hasten to add!)

//It is youth that fights wars. //

Too true. There was something on the news a month or so ago about how they're opening up new training centres for 16-17 years old. Presumably, the 18 year olds aren't as idealistic or easily shaped as they were in decades past. (?)

On top of which, if you're on track for University, you probably think to yourself "I have a great brain: I could go on to do great things, it would be a crying shame to waste my life just catching a bullet".*

To their great credit, many abandoned their higher education to go to war and the honour rolls will show how many never came back.



* regrettably it's exactly this frame of mind which leads to use of phrases like "cannon fodder" and for certain individuals to, as per Blackadder IV, arrange to be 35 miles behind the front lines.

[Hypognosis]

Actually, I've read the news story (but not the thread) in "WW1 Myths Debunked"
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1308737.html

so I now know that bit about Generals miles behind the front lines is actually piffle.