A Land Fit For Heroes?

THE war veterans are protesting and marching again.

They are camping outside Parliament, getting tear-gassed and causing great embarrassment to the powers that be. Will this issue never go away? Actually no, because it is part of a human condition which has been going on for centuries.It boils down to the fact that war veterans are usually a minority; wars and the reasons for them, especially foreign wars not fought on home territory, are soon forgotten; not even understood by the younger generation: and most importantly, dead soldiers have no votes.It is sobering to remember that up until the Napoleonic wars two centuries ago, even so-called civilised countries did not honour their war dead.In fact, their bodies were abandoned where they fell, left for the locals to clear up, or even sold for fertiliser.Not until the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant, and the political lobbying of Florence Nightingale, both appalled by the fate of soldiers sent to fight in far-off lands, was any awareness raised of the possible obligations of countries to those hailed as heroes but quickly buried (literally) when the glorious war did not turn out quite as well as expected.In the First World War, millions died under atrocious conditions, and the survivors were promised (by the British) a land “fit for heroes to live in”.Didn’t quite work out that way.In the US today, seas of red-white-and blue patriotic fervour celebrate and god-speed their brave forces on their way to Iraq.When the coffins draped in similar colours return home, coverage on TV of the event is forbidden.Messages of sympathy to families are written by computer.Funerals of victims are low profile.Relatives are not encouraged to run to the media.Failure is embarrassing.And how does President Bush help to finance the ongoing war? Of course, by slashing funding to veterans’ programmes, both of the current war and previous ones.Veterans don’t have that many votes: certainly not as many as the Jewish or Cuban exile lobby in the US.So those who fought for the liberation of Namibia were indeed heroes, but once freedom has been achieved, don’t expect too much gratitude from the newly installed government.Or at most, gratitude will consist largely of platitude.The new government are busy with better things to do, like lining their own pockets.The veterans have done their job, so they should do the decent thing and vanish from the political scene.(Don’t even think you are going to get to Heroes’ Acre – that is for the well-connected boys).We should achieve closure, and move on, as the clichés have it.The moral of the story is that we should think carefully before politicians pluck at our patriotic heartstrings, and convince us it is essential to save our country by sending our sons to the glorious war on (tick which does not apply): Terrorism, Communism, Colonialism, Capitalism.There are just wars, wars worth fighting, and the Namibian war of independence was surely one.But these are not as many as the wars engineered over trumped-up reasons, fought on false pretences, against fabricated enemies, for profiteers to make fortunes, and vain politicians to try to look like great statesmen.Wars are exciting: good for media viewership, and votes.But their veterans are boring, yesterday’s news.So there you have it.There is of course money for those protesting veterans.Replacing the solid gold taps in the new State House with mere gold-plated ones should fund a comfortable improvement in their pensions.Though unfortunately that would be out of the question.We are grateful for those who sacrificed, of course.But please, when we are on our way in shiny new SUVs to smart cocktail parties, don’t confront us with your rags and amputated stumps.It really is embarrassing.Pro Patria Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – EdWill this issue never go away? Actually no, because it is part of a human condition which has been going on for centuries.It boils down to the fact that war veterans are usually a minority; wars and the reasons for them, especially foreign wars not fought on home territory, are soon forgotten; not even understood by the younger generation: and most importantly, dead soldiers have no votes.It is sobering to remember that up until the Napoleonic wars two centuries ago, even so-called civilised countries did not honour their war dead.In fact, their bodies were abandoned where they fell, left for the locals to clear up, or even sold for fertiliser.Not until the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant, and the political lobbying of Florence Nightingale, both appalled by the fate of soldiers sent to fight in far-off lands, was any awareness raised of the possible obligations of countries to those hailed as heroes but quickly buried (literally) when the glorious war did not turn out quite as well as expected.In the First World War, millions died under atrocious conditions, and the survivors were promised (by the British) a land “fit for heroes to live in”.Didn’t quite work out that way.In the US today, seas of red-white-and blue patriotic fervour celebrate and god-speed their brave forces on their way to Iraq.When the coffins draped in similar colours return home, coverage on TV of the event is forbidden.Messages of sympathy to families are written by computer.Funerals of victims are low profile.Relatives are not encouraged to run to the media.Failure is embarrassing.And how does President Bush help to finance the ongoing war? Of course, by slashing funding to veterans’ programmes, both of the current war and previous ones.Veterans don’t have that many votes: certainly not as many as the Jewish or Cuban exile lobby in the US.So those who fought for the liberation of Namibia were indeed heroes, but once freedom has been achieved, don’t expect too much gratitude from the newly installed government.Or at most, gratitude will consist largely of platitude.The new government are busy with better things to do, like lining their own pockets.The veterans have done their job, so they should do the decent thing and vanish from the political scene.(Don’t even think you are going to get to Heroes’ Acre – that is for the well-connected boys).We should achieve closure, and move on, as the clichés have it.The moral of the story is that we should think carefully before politicians pluck at our patriotic heartstrings, and convince us it is essential to save our country by sending our sons to the glorious war on (tick which does not apply): Terrorism, Communism, Colonialism, Capitalism.There are just wars, wars worth fighting, and the Namibian war of independence was surely one.But these are not as many as the wars engineered over trumped-up reasons, fought on false pretences, against fabricated enemies, for profiteers to make fortunes, and vain politicians to try to look like great statesmen.Wars are exciting: good for media viewership, and votes.But their veterans are boring, yesterday’s news.So there you have it.There is of course money for those protesting veterans.Replacing the solid gold taps in the new State House with mere gold-plated ones should fund a comfortable improvement in their pensions.Though unfortunately that would be out of the question.We are grateful for those who sacrificed, of course.But please, when we are on our way in shiny new SUVs to smart cocktail parties, don’t confront us with your rags and amputated stumps.It really is embarrassing.Pro Patria Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – Ed