david1971xx: He's dead. I'm crippled. You're lost. I suppose it's always like that. I mean war. --Flying Officer David Campbell of the RAF (played by Richard Burton in the epic D-Day classic The Longest Day) to his accidental boyish dogface-GI companion after Campbell has shot and killed a German. The enemy soldier, rudely awakened by the plane crash, rushed to investigate the disturbance and inadvertently put his left boot on his right foot and vice versa. The grim humor and irony of war.
david1971xx: Yea. You are so right. According to Douglas MacArthur, who knew a little bit about war, Plato said that "Only the dead have seen the end of war." Actually there is no evidence that Plato said this. Santayana did say it but he didn't attribute it. Which doesn't necessarily have any bearing on its truth or falsity, of course.
All we do is improve the methods and increase the ferocity with which we kill each other. Which, given our somewhat less than entirely reputable history, may not necessarily be such a dreadful thing, all things considered. They shoot horses, don't they?
mariespellman9: well my brother is into all these alien landings and ufo stuff I always say to him they dont need to come here to take over or destroy us we are happily doing that job for them!
david1971xx: Well maybe do, but recognize that t could be far *more* dangerous if the only alternatives were nuclear war or peace, with no option of conventional conflict. Such a situation has never occurred so as a matter of evidence we don't really know. I for one would be even more afraid in such a world though. It pushes MAD just a little bit too far for my tastes.
mariespellman9: what I meant was we have these weapons nuclear and chemical,if all that is ever intended is hand to hand war why have such powerful weapons? as a threat? it only takes one mad psycho person in charge to push the button and ...oblivion here we come..It is a terrifying thought...I do fear for my childrens future though because I wont be here for them...
david1971xx: Well actually it takes several psycho persons acting in concert to launch a nuclear attack but that does not detract from the force of what you say. We call it the Balance of Terror as opposed to the old 19th century concept of the Balance of Power.
Lily__: The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail translated by Elizabeth Winslow
How magnificent the war is! How eager and efficient! Early in the morning it wakes up the sirens and dispatches ambulances to various places swings corpses through the air rolls stretchers to the wounded summons rain from the eyes of mothers digs into the earth dislodging many things from under the ruins... Some are lifeless and glistening others are pale and still throbbing... It produces the most questions in the minds of children entertains the gods by shooting fireworks and missiles into the sky sows mines in the fields and reaps punctures and blisters urges families to emigrate stands beside the clergymen as they curse the devil (poor devil, he remains with one hand in the searing fire)... The war continues working, day and night. It inspires tyrants to deliver long speeches awards medals to generals and themes to poets it contributes to the industry of artificial limbs provides food for flies adds pages to the history books achieves equality between killer and killed teaches lovers to write letters accustoms young women to waiting fills the newspapers with articles and pictures builds new houses for the orphans invigorates the coffin makers gives grave diggers a pat on the back and paints a smile on the leader's face. It works with unparalleled diligence! Yet no one gives it a word of praise.
david1971xx: At dinner, say, after grandly intoning Rupert Brook's "The Soldier" ("If I should die, think only this of me/There is some corner in a foreign field/That is forever England", Georgie might offer his fond prediction that he would die in a foreign land, since, as Napoleon said, the boundaries of an empire are marked by the graves of her soldiers. Beatrice would nod, the fire in the fireplace would crackle significantly, and the meal would resume as the girls furtively eyed their father in expectation of his next trick.
If discussing reincarnation (one of his favorite topics), he would offer up as evidence pertinent bits of The Bhagavad Gita ("For sure is the death of him that is born, and sure the birth of him that is dead", and his old standby, Revelations 3:12: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." To these he added the fifth stanza of his father's favorite poem, Wordsworth's "Intimations" ode: "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting,/The soul that rises with us, our life's Star,/Hath had elsewhere its setting/And cometh from afar." Clearly, Georgie said, Wordsworth shared his belief in reincarnation.
--From the biographical work on the family, written by Gen. George S. Patton's grandson, Robert Patton, "The Pattons: A Portrait of An American Family"
david1971xx: Through the travail of the ages Midst the pomp and toil of war Have I fought and strove and perished Countless times upon this star.
I have sinned and I have suffered Played the hero and the knave Fought for belly, shame or country And for each have found a grave.
So as through a glass and darkly The age long strife I see Where I fought in many guises, Many names -- but always me.
So forever in the future Shall I battle as of yore, Dying to be born a fighter But to die again once more. --Through a Glass Darkly, Gen. George S. Patton
--Flying Officer David Campbell of the RAF (played by Richard Burton in the epic D-Day classic The Longest Day) to his accidental boyish dogface-GI companion after Campbell has shot and killed a German. The enemy soldier, rudely awakened by the plane crash, rushed to investigate the disturbance and inadvertently put his left boot on his right foot and vice versa. The grim humor and irony of war.
The GI's rejoinder: I wonder who won.
Yea. War.
All we do is improve the methods and increase the ferocity with which we kill each other. Which, given our somewhat less than entirely reputable history, may not necessarily be such a dreadful thing, all things considered. They shoot horses, don't they?
by Dunya Mikhail
translated by Elizabeth Winslow
How magnificent the war is!
How eager
and efficient!
Early in the morning
it wakes up the sirens
and dispatches ambulances
to various places
swings corpses through the air
rolls stretchers to the wounded
summons rain
from the eyes of mothers
digs into the earth
dislodging many things
from under the ruins...
Some are lifeless and glistening
others are pale and still throbbing...
It produces the most questions
in the minds of children
entertains the gods
by shooting fireworks and missiles
into the sky
sows mines in the fields
and reaps punctures and blisters
urges families to emigrate
stands beside the clergymen
as they curse the devil
(poor devil, he remains
with one hand in the searing fire)...
The war continues working, day and night.
It inspires tyrants
to deliver long speeches
awards medals to generals
and themes to poets
it contributes to the industry
of artificial limbs
provides food for flies
adds pages to the history books
achieves equality
between killer and killed
teaches lovers to write letters
accustoms young women to waiting
fills the newspapers
with articles and pictures
builds new houses
for the orphans
invigorates the coffin makers
gives grave diggers
a pat on the back
and paints a smile on the leader's face.
It works with unparalleled diligence!
Yet no one gives it
a word of praise.
If discussing reincarnation (one of his favorite topics), he would offer up as evidence pertinent bits of The Bhagavad Gita ("For sure is the death of him that is born, and sure the birth of him that is dead", and his old standby, Revelations 3:12: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." To these he added the fifth stanza of his father's favorite poem, Wordsworth's "Intimations" ode: "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting,/The soul that rises with us, our life's Star,/Hath had elsewhere its setting/And cometh from afar." Clearly, Georgie said, Wordsworth shared his belief in reincarnation.
--From the biographical work on the family, written by Gen. George S. Patton's grandson, Robert Patton, "The Pattons: A Portrait of An American Family"
Midst the pomp and toil of war
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon this star.
I have sinned and I have suffered
Played the hero and the knave
Fought for belly, shame or country
And for each have found a grave.
So as through a glass and darkly
The age long strife I see
Where I fought in many guises,
Many names -- but always me.
So forever in the future
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter
But to die again once more.
--Through a Glass Darkly, Gen. George S. Patton