what no annual poppy bunfight thread?

[coley]

white poppies are for peace

With all , try waving them about in areas like Kobane or Gaza.

 

[PursuedByBears]

I like the idea of the white poppy but can't bring myself to wear one, it smacks too much of self-rightous hippies. Won't wear a red poppy - Haig, the state should look after the wounded etc. Meh.

 

[likesfish]

Will wear a red poppy.
Remberance does not mean gloryfying theres a diffrence

 

[Blagsta]

 

[Blagsta]

You have used a word
Which means nothing.
You have given a word
The power to send men to death.
Men are not free who are sent to die.
Only those who send them are ‘free.’
You should have freedom stuffed down your fat throats.”

—Kenneth Patchen

 

[Thimble Queen]

With all respect, try waving them about in areas like Kobane or Gaza.

What a bizarre comment.

 

[coley]

What a bizarre comment.

Possibly, so I've edited it.

 

[weltweit]

I thought red poppies were for rememberance, not to glorify war, just to remember the people that died.

 

[Geri]

I like the idea of the white poppy but can't bring myself to wear one, it smacks too much of self-rightous hippies. Won't wear a red poppy - Haig, the state should look after the wounded etc. Meh.

They should, but they don't. Not wearing a poppy won't change that.

 

[redsquirrel]

I thought red poppies were for rememberance, not to glorify war, just to remember the people that died.

And symbols can't have (and aren't open to being used for) multiple meanings?

 

[N_igma]

Your Poppy's teeth has gingivitis. Ebola actually ran away from your death symbol. TRAMPS!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Fucking Terry Wogan on the tannoy on the tube about fucking poppies. Fuck off.

 

[DotCommunist]

I usually buy a red one but it is a little early to wear one yet no?

all year round.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Lawrence Binyon, if I'm not mistaken. Written while staying on the North Cornwall coastline.

Yep, 'For the fallen', written in September 1914. I wonder if then, he had an inkling of just how many would fall?

 

[Thimble Queen]

coley why would anyone wave a poppy of any colour on a battle ground? Your comment makes no sense.

 

[Bakunin]

Yep, 'For the fallen', written in September 1914. I wonder if then, he had an inkling of just how many would fall?

I don't think anybody did.

 

[coley]

coley why would anyone wave a poppy of any colour on a battle ground? Your comment makes no sense.

While the idea of peace is worthy,people making symbolic protests from their easy middle class backgrounds is, I would imagine,somewhat irksome for people who are either engaged in combat or fleeing from it.
Does that make any more sense?

 

[Thimble Queen]

People fleeing from war would more than likely welcome peace so no it doesn't.

 

[Sasaferrato]

THE boys came back. Bands played and flags were flying,
And Yellow-Pressmen thronged the sunlit street
To cheer the soldiers who’d refrained from dying,
And hear the music of returning feet.
‘Of all the thrills and ardours War has brought,
This moment is the finest.’ (So they thought.)

Snapping their bayonets on to charge the mob,
Grim Fusiliers broke ranks with glint of steel,
At last the boys had found a cushy job.
. . . .

I heard the Yellow-Pressmen grunt and squeal
And with my trusty bombers turned and went
To clear those Junkers out of Parliament.

The cruel war was over -- oh, the triumph was so sweet!
We watched the troops returning, through our tears;
There was triumph, triumph, triumph
down the scarlet glittering street,
And you scarce could hear the music for the cheers.
And you scarce could see the house-tops
for the flags that flew between;
The bells were pealing madly to the sky;
And everyone was shouting for the Soldiers of the Queen,
And the glory of an age was passing by.

And then there came a shadow, swift and sudden, dark and drear;
The bells were silent, not an echo stirred.
The flags were drooping sullenly, the men forgot to cheer;
We waited, and we never spoke a word.
The sky grew darker, darker, till from out the gloomy rack
There came a voice that checked the heart with dread:
"Tear down, tear down your bunting now, and hang up sable black;
They are coming -- it's the Army of the Dead."

They were coming, they were coming,
gaunt and ghastly, sad and slow;
They were coming, all the crimson wrecks of pride;
With faces seared, and cheeks red smeared,
and haunting eyes of woe,
And clotted holes the khaki couldn't hide.
Oh, the clammy brow of anguish! the livid, foam-flecked lips!
The reeling ranks of ruin swept along!
The limb that trailed, the hand that failed,
the bloody finger tips!
And oh, the dreary rhythm of their song!

"They left us on the veldt-side, but we felt we couldn't stop
On this, our England's crowning festal day;
We're the men of Magersfontein, we're the men of Spion Kop,
Colenso -- we're the men who had to pay.
We're the men who paid the blood-price.
Shall the grave be all our gain?
You owe us. Long and heavy is the score.
Then cheer us for our glory now, and cheer us for our pain,
And cheer us as ye never cheered before."

The folks were white and stricken,
and each tongue seemed weighted with lead;
Each heart was clutched in hollow hand of ice;
And every eye was staring at the horror of the dead,
The pity of the men who paid the price.
They were come, were come to mock us,
in the first flush of our peace;
Through writhing lips their teeth were all agleam;
They were coming in their thousands --
oh, would they never cease!
I closed my eyes, and then -- it was a dream.

There was triumph, triumph, triumph
down the scarlet gleaming street;
The town was mad; a man was like a boy.
A thousand flags were flaming where the sky and city meet;
A thousand bells were thundering the joy.
There was music, mirth and sunshine;
but some eyes shone with regret;
And while we stun with cheers our homing braves,
O God, in Thy great mercy, let us nevermore forget
The graves they left behind, the bitter graves.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I thought red poppies were for rememberance, not to glorify war, just to remember the people that died.

The original intent was remembrance, but (especially in the last 30 years or so) remembrance itself has become more and more politicised, as we've had two generations of MPs now, where many never served, and never would serve given their druthers. These jokers have taken remembrance and made it a party-political football where one batch of vile goat semen-drinking fuckwads tries to play "more patriotic than thou" against another bunch of vile goat semen-drinking fuckwads.
Kill them all. I'll lay a turd on their mass grave, along with a wreath of bindweed.

 

[Sasaferrato]

As an Irish Republican it's safe to say I wouldn't be seen dead in one. Good way to tell who's a prod and who's a taig here lol.

There were many men from Eire who fought and died.

 

[coley]

People fleeing from war would more than likely welcome peace so no it doesn't.[/QUOTE

And people wearing symbolic white Poppy's far away from any conflict generates peace does it? White Poppy's haven't saved one life,but the bombs dropped on ISIS would have saved quite a few, I imagine.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Advocating war isn't really in the spirit of remembrance and 'never again'. Someone like you should be ashamed to wear a poppy.

 

[Sasaferrato]

The original intent was remembrance, but (especially in the last 30 years or so) remembrance itself has become more and more politicised, as we've had two generations of MPs now, where many never served, and never would serve given their druthers. These jokers have taken remembrance and made it a party-political football where one batch of vile goat semen-drinking fuckwads tries to play "more patriotic than thou" against another bunch of vile goat semen-drinking fuckwads.
Kill them all. I'll lay a turd on their mass grave, along with a wreath of bindweed.

I don't disagree with your sentiments re politicians who have never served; to lead, first you must be led.

However (and there is always is a 'however'), the work that is done as a result of the poppy campaign is worthwhile, indeed vital work. Certainly, it is work that should be funded from general taxation, but it isn't, and it is work that needs to be done.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I don't disagree with your sentiments re politicians who have never served; to lead, first you must be led.

However (and there is always is a 'however'), the work that is done as a result of the poppy campaign is worthwhile, indeed vital work. Certainly, it is work that should be funded from general taxation, but it isn't, and it is work that needs to be done.

I'm not saying "don't buy a poppy", I'm saying "look beyond the political rhetoric and point-scoring to the real reason to remember".

 

[Sea Star]

White poppy for me and I'm not prepared to discuss!

 

[Sea Star]

I usually buy a red one but it is a little early to wear one yet no?

Yes!

 

[N_igma]

There were many men from Eire who fought and died.

Wow thanks for that useful piece of information. My position has completely changed now knowing this! Thank you Sas!

 

[Wilf]

Fucking Terry Wogan on the tannoy on the tube about fucking poppies. Fuck off.

Fucking Terry Wogan. Fuck off.

Either works for me.

 

[felixthecat]

White poppy for me and I'm not prepared to discuss!

Then why bother posting it?