Remembrance Sunday

Britain marks Remembrance Sunday today – also known as Poppy Day. This is a tribute to all those British servicemen and women who have been killed in war.

When I was growing up in Watford, this referred to those who lost their lives during World War One and Two.

For these I can have empathy for. Often conscripted, they suffered the hardships that fortunately I can barely begin to imagine. At least you can clearly claim those conscripts who were forced to fight in World War Two had an evil enemy.

Do I feel the same for those who fought subsequent meaningless and unjustifiable wars that have included the Falkland Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan? No, sorry I can´t.

Fortunately, conscription into the armed forces is non-existent in the UK, which is more than can be said for other European countries. The British armed services are made up of mercenaries who will follow orders blindly. They make their choices and face the consequences of their actions.

As the brilliant Bill Hicks noted, too many humans seem to think that evolution stopped when we developed opposable thumbs. How such atrocities can still exist in the 21st century surely shows the depths of humanity´s ignorance and stupidity?