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Remembrance Day Thoughts – 2024

Inverness Oran: 12 November 2024

Behind the poppies and public recognition of past valor lurks a lingering public tendency to minimize the true horror and futility of armed conflict. This is understandable among people who have never directly experienced the terror of foreign invasion or occupation. Unfortunately, our safe distance from others’ suffering encourages many to justify and excuse military solutions to international strife.

While soldiers are always heroes, they are obliged to trust the judgement of cynical leaders beholden to those who often view war as a business activity.

As casualties mount in any given conflict, it becomes “unpatriotic” to question the wisdom of continuing the fight. Such an atmosphere often leads to scapegoating and the concealment of political mistakes and military excesses.
Canada’s 1991 Somalia episode is a prime example of this ugly phenomenon. Enlisted soldiers’ careers were destroyed as politicians and senior officers scrambled to protect each other from the unfolding torture/murder scandal.

Considering the final accounting of that situation, young people considering military service might reasonably ask if leaders’ rhetoric can be trusted under duress. As the bombs and bullets fly in Ukraine and Gaza, such questions are vital.