Cenetenary of Battle of the Somme

Today, July 1st, marks 100 years since the start of the Battle of the Somme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zy98xsg

On the first day of this battle, 19,000 young British soldiers were killed and many more were seriously injured.

This was a futile and pointless battle in a futile and pointless war.

Worse yet, the "peace" settlement of the First World War led directly to the Second World War.

In my younger days, I served in the military (Royal Air Force) but as I have grown older and observed the futility of so many wars (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Syria) I have become a pacifist.

 

The flower of British youth was cut down this month.

Still has effects that we see today, I think the loss of the warrior spirit in the British people is why Marxism took hold there.

 

Marxism took hold in the UK? Would you mind explaining that comment?

 

Are you unfamiliar with the history of marxism in the UK?

It never could take hold militarily, so it used other means.

 

Actually, I am unfamiliar with the history of Marxism in the UK. I would love to see a truly socialist government in the UK. The last one was 1945 to 1951.

 

You are a pacifist but also a socialist? How does being a pacifist and supporting the most bloodthirsty political ideology work?

 

You clearly have little idea of true Socialism. Look at Britain 1945 to 1951.

 

You mean you are going to pretend that there is a brand of socialism that will actually work, you have some academic dream of a tweak to socialism that will prevent it from degenerating into the bloodthirsty totalitarian hell that it always turns into? You are going to claim that all the socialist systems actually implemented and failed to the horror of the people unlucky enough to be enslaved by it were not "true" socialism?

Socialism is a failure, its a stepping stone to totalitarian hell, it always has been and it always will be.

 

I say again, look at the UK 1945 to 1951 where socialism rescued us from the ashes of WW2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Attlee

 

And 'lions led by donkeys' as it still is today. I watched it - I didn't realise how devastating barbed wire is; once you're snagged on it you suddenly become literally immobile and a sitting duck for all incoming fire. To think some of those kids were shot for 'cowardice', ordered by those who were in all probability sitting behind desks in Whitehall.