Spot the irony
Bit late on this one, but sure what the hell.
Whilst I support the Irish government's recent decision to celebrate the Somme and the 1916 rebellion, I can't help but notice a glaring irony. Which I myself am now guilty of.
Yes, many nationalists, unionists, protestants and catholics died at the Somme and they died defending an imperialistic war fought between age old monarchs and antiquated systems of European political institution. That doesn't bother me, the further time passes after a war the more irrelevant the cause will become. In 200 years time, people will pour scorn on mockery on World War II, you could even say it has already begun (Excellent series btw).
For the Irish government to celebrate the 1916 rebellion and the battle of the Somme in the same breath is glaring hypocrisy. It was the same soldiers that were fighting in the first world war that tied Connelly to a chair and shot him. Not only that, but less than two years later, the war of independence, the trench trained soldiers had swapped the fields of Flanders for the fields of Fingal.
Many of the black and tans were frustrated former trench veterans. How can the Irish government celebrate the soldiers of the Somme yet at the same time celebrate the war of independence when in one instance they were fighting side by side yet two years down the line fighting against one another in the most successful guerilla warfare campaigns ever launched?
Before I reap the unionist whirlwind of condemnation for noting the success of guerilla warfare, the tactics and methods Collins developed have been taught at military training institutions throughout the world, including Westpoint. You may not like what he fought for but without the tactics of Collins, I doubt the Allies would have won WWII. Collins taught the Allies that wars would no longer be fought face to face, pike to pike or gun to gun by people dressed in uniform.
I am not a supporter of war for any reason and I abhore killing, but myself a hypocrite, I do enjoy reading about military tactics and campaigns.
I digress, but is Irish neutrality now so anally retentive that they will commemorate both sides of a war just to satisfy everyone?
Maybe we have to.
Whilst I support the Irish government's recent decision to celebrate the Somme and the 1916 rebellion, I can't help but notice a glaring irony. Which I myself am now guilty of.
Yes, many nationalists, unionists, protestants and catholics died at the Somme and they died defending an imperialistic war fought between age old monarchs and antiquated systems of European political institution. That doesn't bother me, the further time passes after a war the more irrelevant the cause will become. In 200 years time, people will pour scorn on mockery on World War II, you could even say it has already begun (Excellent series btw).
For the Irish government to celebrate the 1916 rebellion and the battle of the Somme in the same breath is glaring hypocrisy. It was the same soldiers that were fighting in the first world war that tied Connelly to a chair and shot him. Not only that, but less than two years later, the war of independence, the trench trained soldiers had swapped the fields of Flanders for the fields of Fingal.
Many of the black and tans were frustrated former trench veterans. How can the Irish government celebrate the soldiers of the Somme yet at the same time celebrate the war of independence when in one instance they were fighting side by side yet two years down the line fighting against one another in the most successful guerilla warfare campaigns ever launched?
Before I reap the unionist whirlwind of condemnation for noting the success of guerilla warfare, the tactics and methods Collins developed have been taught at military training institutions throughout the world, including Westpoint. You may not like what he fought for but without the tactics of Collins, I doubt the Allies would have won WWII. Collins taught the Allies that wars would no longer be fought face to face, pike to pike or gun to gun by people dressed in uniform.
I am not a supporter of war for any reason and I abhore killing, but myself a hypocrite, I do enjoy reading about military tactics and campaigns.
I digress, but is Irish neutrality now so anally retentive that they will commemorate both sides of a war just to satisfy everyone?
Maybe we have to.
posted by newyorkmetsfan @ 6:04 PM
1 Comments:
Your are Excellent. And so is your site! Keep up the good work. Bookmarked.
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