h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You have certain reservations about Remembrance Day.

This is not because you are anti-war, anti those/these wars or anti Britain particularly, although some of those are somewhat true.

Remembrance Day in the UK is in some ways a historical anachronism, instituted at the end of a war which saw every family in the UK touched but where the outcome was largely inconclusive, devoid of any real sense of victory and without much material benefit for returning soldiers. The result was massive emotional investment in war memorials and the rituals surrounding them as a focus for the grief of the nation, a nation who didn’t have much to cheer about. This set the tone for the way war has been commemorated in the UK ever since, yet it is noticeable that the Second World War, a war which had some fairly obvious winners and losers, and which resulted in things like the welfare state being set up, did not produce a rash of war memorials. Names tended to be tacked on to the old World War One monuments.*

It’s this almost exclusive focus on the dead that you consider, at best, a little hypocritical, and at worst, rather dangerous.

It’s easy to say, isn’t war awful, look what it leads to, those poor dead boys, wasn’t it tragic, let’s wear this symbol, bow our heads, say we are sorry and feel morally cleansed by our acknowledgement of the horror. You worry that by wallowing in one day’s mourning, we, the non combatants, feel that we absolve ourselves of involvement in the issue of war the other 364 days of the year.

Plus, whilst you appreciate that the day is a comfort to those who have lost family or friends in war, and that this is not an inconsiderable point, nevertheless, the dead are dead. Remembrance Day can’t help them now. You consider that the focus on the dead means we lose sight of our responsibilities to living solders. Where, you wondered, is the day to support the troops currently under fire on our behalf, to celebrate the maimed, the traumatised, the returnees from war?

Well, actually, there is a day of sorts. It’s called Armed Forces Day (formerly Veterans Day). Anyone know when that is? No, you thought not.

The thing is, you think that history is repeating itself, in that the longer we engage in a protracted, depressing and inconclusive war, the more focus will be put on Remembrance Day, to the detraction of actually doing anything about it, or about the increasing numbers of young men exposed to the unpleasantness who have to come back and try to get on with their lives.

Not to mention the people who actually have to live in areas of conflict.

So you buy your poppy and you wear it. In fact, this year you bought two pin on poppies, two stick on poppies, a Remembrance Day balloon, a sticker and a pennant, because when you discovered that you only had a five-pound note, rather overwhelmed by your largesse and the Star’s obvious excitement, the Royal British Legion‘s representative kept producing new items as you attempted to stuff your money into his collecting tin. You approve of their work.

But you don’t think November 11th is the best day to do our best thinking about war, our roles and responsibilities.

*You actually wrote a Guide Entry on thos topic once, it bothers you that much: A43406750

Need to check with my mother if Finns have anything like Remembrance Day. I think they have a War Veterane Day, and I've seen donation boxes at ferry terminals and other public places. Nothing in Sweden though, it's been centuries since we were officially in war with anyone.

I admit Remembrance Day always makes me uncomfortable. I was brought up by a family that lost people and had a pretty miserable time of it (like a lot of familes, I'm sure) and, quite frankly, wanted to move on. The public display of grief wasn't something they wanted to be a part of, and 'the War' was never really discussed, only if it happened to be the context of talking about something personal.

So while I want to support the familes of those left behind, and support those who are still fighting on our behalf, I get a little queasy about poppies.

I like the way you think, Sol.

Our ministry of defence tried to pick up the tradition this year, wearing poppies and all that but I don't think they got much attention. It's also very tricky to find very neutral monument to lay the wreaths.

I always think it's absolutely indicative of something or other, Hati, that WW2 is the massively memorialised war in the Soviet Union. Yet the Russians at least do go nuts on Victory Day. Victory Day! Let's not pussy foot about here! We survived! Hurrah!

I always wonder whether it's not actually a more healthy mindset, especially given that there's very little (it seems to me) anti-Germanism in Russia too, which under the circs is quite astonishing.

Russia has never been too good at valuing a single soldier's life and sacrifice, methinks. Their military tradition and practice are just different. Sort of like - the power is in the fist, not in single finger. That, and also the fact that Russians did win the war and the turning point was in Russia. So it indeed makes more sense to celebrate the victory, not the losses.
Here we have somewhat different ideas on this. Middle ground, I'd say. None of that was our war, people were just taken to one or the other side and sent to fight against each other. And with some hindsight, it was a Phyrric victory for us.
As about anti-Germanism in Russia - I think Russians are quite great-hearted in general. They don't take it out on a nation. They are quite against nazis though. Then again, on the light of recent news from Russia, it's getting more and more nationalistic itself. And they have had their own skinheads and others of the kind.
Historically Russia has always believed in one strong leader. Obviously it still does. In that light it never was German nation's fault, to start with. Just their leader's.
Just my , of course. And you know I am not too fond of Russia, but I like Russians.