ANZAC Day has changed Wheelers Corner 22 26th April 2019

I joined the army in 1961 retired in 1980.

It is 5.30 am on the 25th of April 2019 ANZAC day, and normally I'd be on my way to the Dawn Parade as I have done for forty years...but this year I've found the strength and will power not to do so...

It's not because I feel less for those who have died since Gallipoli and all the wars that have been fought since.

But I believe that the great mass of those who died, civilians massively never really knew what it was all about.

The editorial in the Manawatu Standard said these words:

There is an abiding message there. Wars have no "winners". They bring permanent loss on all sides. What they should turn our minds to, even as we commemorate those of our number who made the ultimate sacrifice, is reconciliation and peace.  

And I say hear hear to that! So my medals stayed in the cabinet and my white poppy as well...for a retired military [Army] person that is a big individual step and I believe a huge progressive step forward.

I remember the woman Minister who always gave the reading here in Palmerston North at the ANZAC dawn parade, I've forgotten her name, but she was wonderful for she always said something about the futility of war, and that somehow our dream results never matched reality. And she was correct, at least in my view. 

Seriously when one looks at Gallipoli from a military perspective it was total disaster waiting to happen, and happen it did, not only at Gallipoli but through-out the entire 1st World War. This wasn't the first time New Zealanders began fighting other peoples wars. It was simply the start, but it has grown this willingness to die for Britain, or the USA, was it for freedom, or in reality was it for others financial gain. We should never forget, the bravery of individuals but stupidity of war. this says it all:

Our values have become totally confused, you can join the army and be paid while learning how to kill...but training via the education system to become say a doctor or nurse cost thousands and thousands in student fees. So much for the neo-liberalism clap trap as practiced today in NZ under all governments.

It has been clearly proven that if the world reduced military spending by half, we could solve world poverty in five years.

It's taken me a longtime [78 years] to reach a final conclusion that in all cases, greed rules the world, greed equals war, hence the need for the US and others to have never ending wars, and we the public are simply pawns in this massive rip-off. 

We are the ones who die, are murdered in the name of a false democracy that is never reached unless you are extremely wealthy like Donald Trump and buy your way out of putting yourself in danger.

I have joined a organisation named "World beyond War" and it celebrates ANZAC day by having picnics and other peaceful types of activities, now that is progressive...Go to: https://worldbeyondwar.org/ and have a read, it is most enlightening. 

Of course different people view wars from different perspectives, hero worship being one of them, naturally the state uses it to recruit and to bask in the so-called glory of war. 

Andy Hickman is a local Anglican Priest here in PN at the all Saints Church, he is dynamic and highly active in being anti-war and a true Christen humanist in all respects he wrote this in reply to his uncle who was questioning his view of what ANZAC day has become, I have his consent to publish his words: And I agree with all that he wrote and implies. 

This is a conversation that we all need to have with our children, relations etc. It creates a pathway toward actual and real understanding...lets get rid of the Hollywood BS and enter instead the real world of forced PR spin and hero worship.

"Tortured by their own patriotic countrymen, these men were known as ‘conscientious objectors’, because they placed their own consciences and beliefs before the demands of the state".

conscientious objector

He went on say:

" Of course I honour and respect all those who served and died for our country.
But Anzac day is now taken to the extreme, like a national religion, making the wars that "we" initiated as being well intended. But minimal acknowledgment of conscientious objectors, nor of others who were victims of "our" military invasions.

I'm not protesting those who died, but I'm protesting the dominant narrative of the justification of Australia, New Zealand involvement.
 
Here in NZ the ferocious anger at the mere suggestion of acknowledging we are more than just European kiwis has been violently vitriolic.

The biggest opposition has come from those who want Anzac Day reserved to remember and honour those who took part in wars. If the 50 people who were shot and killed in Christchurch on March 15 aren't New Zealanders who fell in a war, then I don't know who qualifies". [Quote ends]

Maori Television has just played a brilliant video of the number of Maori troops executed for various reasons during the first world war...it was shocking and they had to wait till Helen Clark was PM to receive a pardon...it was shocking TV.

Well enough of the inhumanity of man to their fellow human-beings, it simply proves than man's worst enemy is man himself... if that is not understood then one would have to be blind, deaf and emotionless and most certainly lack a heart. 

One last read:

This is a really interesting read about the death Stats amongst Afghan civilians, just another American never ending wars that we assist in fighting...

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/24/unprecedented-un-finds-us-backed-forces-killed-more-afghan-civilians-taliban

And have a listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E9Nu8JinM0