Respect for true courage is renewed

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | 4/26/04 | Paddy McGuinness

[qam1]

Anzac Day is over for another year, but the enthusiasm of the young reflects an on-going generational change, writes Padraic P. McGuinness.

The extraordinary degree of public support for the ceremonies and remembrances of Anzac Day is a remarkable and puzzling turnaround from the public mood of a generation ago, when respect for fallen soldiers and for our military generally was at an unprecedented low. When troops came home from Vietnam they were vilified and described by some apparently intelligent people as murderers and probably rapists, and willing servants of villainy. Quite a few, already burdened by the traumas of jungle warfare, suffered badly as a result.

Such a reception of our military personnel in Iraq, whatever one's evaluation of that situation, is now inconceivable. Whether they come home by this Christmas or the next, they will be welcomed and treated with respect. While the press gallery pursues various figures within the defence and intelligence services (mainly, it seems, for disagreeing with the gallery and agreeing with government policy), they dare not touch the Anzac ethos. Nor does the public generally pay much attention to the continued efforts to besmirch those elements of the military which are seen as vulnerable to damage from exposure of real or imagined misdemeanours. The complaints of Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Collins need to be taken seriously - this is not the first time that bungling in the intelligence services has emerged, along with ruthlessness towards dissidents. But it should not be confused with the critique of government.

Clearly, none of this has affected the public fiesta, as well as commemoration, of Anzac Day. What is really fascinating is the enthusiasm not just of the public generally, but of the young in particular, for this day. It is intriguing to see how it has become a kind of morning paying of respects followed by an afternoon and evening of celebration. The pubs on Sunday night were overflowing; ritual two-up games were part of the celebration, no longer just part of the efforts of spivs to part drunken ex-diggers from their money, but part of the unique flavour of the day. It is the same with those who make the effort to go to Gallipoli - there is no difficulty in reconciling the solemnity, and often enough the tears, of the morning with the partying in the evening.

It is tempting to see in this yet more evidence of the passage of the baby boomer generation from dominance towards impotent retirement. Despite efforts to revive the passions of the Vietnam War by comparing the Iraqi situation with it, stretching analogy beyond its limits, there is a fundamental difference even apart from military and political elements. It is being dealt with by a different generation. No doubt a substantial proportion of the Australian population had misgivings about the war with Iraq (unlike the early stages of the Vietnam War), and still do about current complications, but neither in America nor Australia is there a chance of the kind of explosion which took place among the young. The public is inured to TV images; in any case neither TV nor newspapers have the influence they once had.

There were occasional cries of encouragement for kids who participated in anti-Iraqi war demonstrations, but for the kids these were mainly adventures. The same kids were, some of them, marching with their grandfathers' medals on Sunday; certainly they feared no peer pressures from any of their fellows who had gone out into the street parties of the demos. And both in the morning and the evening the left fascists who do their best to add violence and confrontation to any demo were lying very low. One would not give much for the chances of any silly Solidarity or Resistance sloganeer in the Anzac Day pubs.

It is surely reassuring that without any jingoism so much emotion is invested in this day. It really is a time when we think of ourselves as a nation, inclusive, ready to defend itself and advance its own interests, and honouring those who have made sacrifices. At the same time, that done, life goes on and not so seriously.

Surprisingly enough, Australians are a joyous people. Despite all the efforts of the wowsers, the political moralists, and the peddlers of social nostrums.

[qam1]

Written about Australia but the same applies here.

[qam1]

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1982) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details.

[HungarianGypsy]

Yesterday our local paper was talking about a vet who was sent home because an injury after being nearby when mortar exploded. He is back home for one week and will be sent back. He says he is looking forward to going back to Iraq as soon as possible.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the great post, qam1!

The extraordinary degree of public support for the ceremonies and remembrances of Anzac Day is a remarkable and puzzling turnaround from the public mood of a generation ago, when respect for fallen soldiers and for our military generally was at an unprecedented low. When troops came home from Vietnam they were vilified...

Such a reception of our military personnel in Iraq, whatever one's evaluation of that situation, is now inconceivable. Whether they come home by this Christmas or the next, they will be welcomed and treated with respect.

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BLESS OUR AUSTRALIAN ALLIES!

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It will be doubly tragic if mass murder is rewarded with even the perception that our resolve has weakened. At the very least the victims--those killed and injured--deserve an absolute assurance that this outrage will make all of us more determined to stand together against terror. Now is not the time for us to be diverted from this global mission.

 

~ PM John Howard, post-Madrid.

 

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Miss Marple]

I am planting a new section in my garden. I am using plants that commemorate the Veterans in honor of my late dad. I just found a daylily called "Anzac" and I am incorporating it as well.

[blackie]

Aussie Allies ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~