November 11

Today is Rememberance Sunday and has completely passed me by. Not strictly true, as I did watch Blackadder Goes Forth to mark the occasion.
Don't get me wrong: The First World War was an utter tragedy and deserves- or rather demands- to be remembered. What it does not demand, nevertheless, is to be celebrated. The soldiers who fought in 1914-18 do not need to be thanked, as they were merely "Lions for Asses" sent to fight in a completely needless conflict. It should be remembered as the tragedy it was. The Second World War is different story, and I'm happy to thank those who fought to defeat Nazism. What bothers me is the institutionalisation of the whole thing- the celebration which borders on jingoism and celebration of things British. I'm no longer a rabid Welsh nationalist, but I couldn't really give a monkey's about the State of the United Kingdom.
Two other things: The lads who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War aren't officially remembered as their involvement wasn't officially sanctioned by HMG. And the whole contraversy (sp?) about the wounded soldiers worries me, as it gives everyone the message that this is a jingoistic celebration rather than a commemoration.