The Poppy appeal

[Mook]

In 10 years tv presenters will be wearing giant poppies on their faces in September.

 

Does my head in everybody trying to out-poppy each other, the minutes silences in the offices as well, we didn't have them a few years ago and everyone was perfectly aware that people were killed in two World wars then.

 

Faux grief is an epidemic in this fucking country.

[SasaS]

Is poppy part fo the effort to rebrand WWI as the good war too, there seems to be more and more of that in recent years? It worked well for the WWII, thanks to the Nazis.

[Champ]

I have no idea what we're meant to be commemorating any more. The whole thing, just like the Help for Heroes malarkey, leaves me feeling very uncomfortable

[Anny Road]

Stop sending them and they stop getting killed.

[Spy Bee]

I saw a rather shit poem on Facebook before about a little boy who's dad died in Helmand Province. Then it said his dad was a hero for fighting for our freedom. I don't think fighting in Afghanistan was anything to do with the freedom of UK citizens. 

[s(k)aturation]

Is poppy part fo the effort to rebrand WWI as the good war too, there seems to be more and more of that in recent years? It worked well for the WWII, thanks to the Nazis.

 

I always find that commemorations of the World Wars, by "winners" like England and Australia, still tend to patronise and forget the "losers", who lost just as many innocent and decent lives.

 

The poppy, sadly, remains nothing more than our various nationalist conceits.

[Anny Road]

Fighting for Multi National Oil companies is for all our benefit. How else would we fuel our car to get to our minimum wage job?

[Anubis]

Unfortunately, I think we're being caught up in a rising tide of Americanised jingoism surrounding the armed forces. Things like those TV awards and newspaper awards.

 

Seriously, we have a shed load of ex-servicemen who have lost limbs or who are psychologically damaged. Instead of giving them two minutes on TV and a little plaque, how about giving them the proper medical and psychological aftercare they need.

 

And stop trying to celebrate war. It's a sometimes necessary evil. It's bad enough when it's necessary, but stop trying to be righteous over military interventions we shouldn't have undertaken in the first place.

[JohnnyH]

[Stu Monty]

I saw a rather shit poem on Facebook before about a little boy who's dad died in Helmand Province. Then it said his dad was a hero for fighting for our freedom. I don't think fighting in Afghanistan was anything to do with the freedom of UK citizens.

He probably really helped settle some old tribal scores though. He won't have realised though, as everyone that shot at them, or even returned fire, was obviously just Taliban.

[VladimirIlyich]

Stop sending them and they stop getting killed.

You think they care about those being killed? Not a chance while money can still be made.

The real enemies of the modern world transcend borders and nationalities,they are united only by money,power and subjugation of the masses.

[SasaS]

Hear, hear. And happy anniversary!

[s(k)aturation]

they are united only by money,power and subjugation of the masses.

 

Alas, even your namesake's good intentions were subject to these vices, Vladimir Ilyich.

[Strontium]

They should slap a 5p charge on those little poppies like they do on plastic bags. I dread to think of the environmental cost of millions of the things going to landfill every year.

[s(k)aturation]

They should slap a 5p charge on those little poppies like they do on plastic bags. I dread to think of the environmental cost of millions of the things going to landfill every year.

 

Indeed.  

At least the millions of people expended managed to decompose and regenerate the earth.  Pretty generous and accommodating, are the needlessly dead.

[SasaS]

He probably really helped settle some old tribal scores though. He won't have realised though, as everyone that shot at them, or even returned fire, was obviously just Taliban.

 

And commemorating those killed in Afghanistan by wearing a poppy should be highly controversial since, according to the Curtis' documentary you mentioned the other day, they were probably killed over controlling the fields poppies grow on.

[Rico1304]

If you don't want to wear one, then don't - free speech. If you don't, dont moan when people express their view that people should - free speech.

[Mook]

Isn't moaning a form of free speech?

 

I fucking hope so because it's the only thing I'm any good at.

[Strontium]

It's practically the only form of speech these days so you're okay.

[Bjornebye]

I think James McLean knows more about the reason for the Poppy than 50% of the wankers having a go at him for not wearing one. 

[Liverpool lad]

Can you just donate money without wearing one?

[VladimirIlyich]

Alas, even your namesake's good intentions were subject to these vices, Vladimir Ilyich.

Yes,the human vices seem to affect everybody.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Ha, 'kin hell Asda!

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/asda-bosses-remove-bad-taste-6787766

[General Dryness]

They should have added a barrel of oil and some US Dollars strewn about the place. Y'know, modern it up a little bit.

[s(k)aturation]

Can you just donate money without wearing one?

 

Yes.

 

But of course, then you'd be running the terrible risk of people not knowing that you were compassionate, proud and commemorative.