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| How to commemorate the first world war | How to commemorate the first world war |
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| I was shocked and depressed to hear the prime minister talking about the centenary of the first world war as something to celebrate, and suggesting that such celebrations were essential to our sense of nationhood, and that the message should be taken into schools around the land (First world war centenary will be marked by events that 'capture our national spirit', 12 October). And this on a day that began with worries that the potential lowering of the voting age would see politics taken into schools. | I was shocked and depressed to hear the prime minister talking about the centenary of the first world war as something to celebrate, and suggesting that such celebrations were essential to our sense of nationhood, and that the message should be taken into schools around the land (First world war centenary will be marked by events that 'capture our national spirit', 12 October). And this on a day that began with worries that the potential lowering of the voting age would see politics taken into schools. |
| Militarism and nationalism combine to make a pretty toxic ideology that our young people would be better off without, as would the rest of us. War is the scourge of humanity and we should be not celebrating but lamenting the fact that 100 years on from a particularly brutal and senseless war, in which so many were maimed, driven mad and slaughtered, we should still be seeing our endless commitment to warfare as something to glory in. | Militarism and nationalism combine to make a pretty toxic ideology that our young people would be better off without, as would the rest of us. War is the scourge of humanity and we should be not celebrating but lamenting the fact that 100 years on from a particularly brutal and senseless war, in which so many were maimed, driven mad and slaughtered, we should still be seeing our endless commitment to warfare as something to glory in. |
| Could we not use this anniversary as an opportunity for deep reflection and events designed to promote a determined and urgent quest for demilitarisation and the development of capacities for negotiation, quiet diplomacy and the serious study of non-violent people power and its potential? That is what the future of our nation and all others requires. Diana Francis Bath | Could we not use this anniversary as an opportunity for deep reflection and events designed to promote a determined and urgent quest for demilitarisation and the development of capacities for negotiation, quiet diplomacy and the serious study of non-violent people power and its potential? That is what the future of our nation and all others requires. Diana Francis Bath |
| • How to commemorate the centenary of the start of the first world war? Put the words of the late Harry Patch, the last surviving British soldier, on every war memorial: "War is nothing but organised murder." Then indict all the war criminals who are still at large, including the merchants of death, the military/industrial complexes in all the major countries, that supply the means and are therefore accessories before the fact. Frank Jackson Former co-chair, World Disarmament Campaign | • How to commemorate the centenary of the start of the first world war? Put the words of the late Harry Patch, the last surviving British soldier, on every war memorial: "War is nothing but organised murder." Then indict all the war criminals who are still at large, including the merchants of death, the military/industrial complexes in all the major countries, that supply the means and are therefore accessories before the fact. Frank Jackson Former co-chair, World Disarmament Campaign |
| • You are absolutely right in your editorial (Learning the right lessons from history, 12 October) to say that Germany must be involved in any commemoration of the first world war. We need to recognise that in any war all sides must share responsibility, either for the war itself or for the events that led up to it. | • You are absolutely right in your editorial (Learning the right lessons from history, 12 October) to say that Germany must be involved in any commemoration of the first world war. We need to recognise that in any war all sides must share responsibility, either for the war itself or for the events that led up to it. |
| You say we need a new name for the Imperial War Museum, which is right and proper, but by offering "National" as an alternative to "Imperial" you fall into the same trap of implying that these wars are "our" wars. Wars are never national; they are international. National wars already have a title: civil wars. Let's just call it "The War Museum". The name is succinct, entirely accurate, memorable and has no flavour of jingoism. Nick Shepherd London | You say we need a new name for the Imperial War Museum, which is right and proper, but by offering "National" as an alternative to "Imperial" you fall into the same trap of implying that these wars are "our" wars. Wars are never national; they are international. National wars already have a title: civil wars. Let's just call it "The War Museum". The name is succinct, entirely accurate, memorable and has no flavour of jingoism. Nick Shepherd London |
| • Hopefully, the government will use the commemorations to allow reflection on the causes of the war, its impact on later events in Europe and the conduct of the politicians involved. I imagine, though, that they will be used by current politicians for their own ends. | • Hopefully, the government will use the commemorations to allow reflection on the causes of the war, its impact on later events in Europe and the conduct of the politicians involved. I imagine, though, that they will be used by current politicians for their own ends. |
| The politicians failed the soldiers during the war, and their treatment of returning soldiers was disgraceful. A place fit for heroes it was not. Rudyard Kipling's words seem apt: "If any question why we died/ Tell them, because our fathers lied." By their incompetent treatment of Germany, the politicians helped lay the seeds for the rise of fascism despite warnings of the risks. | The politicians failed the soldiers during the war, and their treatment of returning soldiers was disgraceful. A place fit for heroes it was not. Rudyard Kipling's words seem apt: "If any question why we died/ Tell them, because our fathers lied." By their incompetent treatment of Germany, the politicians helped lay the seeds for the rise of fascism despite warnings of the risks. |
| We still fight meaningless wars and sacrifice troops at the whims of politicians and their backers in the defence industries. Perhaps as part of the celebration Kipling's poem Tommy should feature prominently – but that would ask for a level of self-awareness and self-criticism politicians do not possess. Bruce Corlett Glasgow | We still fight meaningless wars and sacrifice troops at the whims of politicians and their backers in the defence industries. Perhaps as part of the celebration Kipling's poem Tommy should feature prominently – but that would ask for a level of self-awareness and self-criticism politicians do not possess. Bruce Corlett Glasgow |
| • By June 2014, the full impact of the cuts will be being felt, summer weather will possibly have arrived, and a very real threat of public opposition and demonstration may well exist. The government can clearly think of nothing better than to spend millions commemorating one of the most disastrous events in the history of mankind, in the vague hope that some type of patriotic jubilee/Olympic spirit of unity can be re-created. By all means, let's remember those who fought and died, but not for party political reasons. Bernie Evans Liverpool | • By June 2014, the full impact of the cuts will be being felt, summer weather will possibly have arrived, and a very real threat of public opposition and demonstration may well exist. The government can clearly think of nothing better than to spend millions commemorating one of the most disastrous events in the history of mankind, in the vague hope that some type of patriotic jubilee/Olympic spirit of unity can be re-created. By all means, let's remember those who fought and died, but not for party political reasons. Bernie Evans Liverpool |
| • All schools and colleges with a sixth form should be expected to put on Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop's musical Oh, What a Lovely War!. | • All schools and colleges with a sixth form should be expected to put on Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop's musical Oh, What a Lovely War!. |
| After 40 years I still vividly remember the school production I was involved with: masters took the promoted roles and pupils filled out the army. The age and experience of the slaughtered matched ours as we finished school and went off into, what we dreamed, would be a wholesome and creative future. Mic Porter Monkseaton, Tyne and Wear | After 40 years I still vividly remember the school production I was involved with: masters took the promoted roles and pupils filled out the army. The age and experience of the slaughtered matched ours as we finished school and went off into, what we dreamed, would be a wholesome and creative future. Mic Porter Monkseaton, Tyne and Wear |
| • Certainly, we should remember and honour all those who lost their lives in this carnage, from whatever country they came from. But 1914 was the great failure of the idea of the nation state in Europe. We still see this reflected in the selfish and nationalistic views expressed in the eurozone and in the recent discussion of the BAE/EADS merger, coupled with the rabid antagonism from the Tories and the British press to everything European. | • Certainly, we should remember and honour all those who lost their lives in this carnage, from whatever country they came from. But 1914 was the great failure of the idea of the nation state in Europe. We still see this reflected in the selfish and nationalistic views expressed in the eurozone and in the recent discussion of the BAE/EADS merger, coupled with the rabid antagonism from the Tories and the British press to everything European. |
| The summer of 2014 should be a time to look forward as well as back, and to celebrate nearly 70 years of peace in Europe, largely due to the creation of co-operative European institutions culminating in the EU. Tony Mayer Swindon | The summer of 2014 should be a time to look forward as well as back, and to celebrate nearly 70 years of peace in Europe, largely due to the creation of co-operative European institutions culminating in the EU. Tony Mayer Swindon |
| • How to commemorate the war? Easy: scrap plans to replace Trident. David Moss Rochdale | • How to commemorate the war? Easy: scrap plans to replace Trident. David Moss Rochdale |
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