The WW1 centenary should be an occasion for remembrance of loss of life and
national reflection, not political point scoring. Politicians wading into the argument
over the Great War over the last few days reminds us that the politics of war
remain as far apart as ever from the reality of war.
Politicians are the ones who start wars but are not the ones who fight them.
The involvement doesn’t end there though; victory or defeat in war often defines
a politician’s career. But there are no winners or losers on the battlefield. The
long lasting consequences of war affect both sides and extend far beyond the
day the war ends.
In this extract from ‘I am the Enemy’ a young soldier is writing a letter
to his wife from the trenches in 1916.
‘As I sit here now, hearing the chatter of
men with families back home just like me, I can’t help think of the prime
minister’s words about not sheathing the sword until the enemy is crushed. It’s
all very well for these fellows back home in the comfort of their houses and
surrounded by their families to talk in such a manner, but when you are out
here, believe me, it’s sometimes hard to hate a man who is just like you. You
hate the mud and the cold, wet, miserable existence but not the chap on the
other side.’
Military force is essential for a country’s security and service personnel
can’t pick and choose which wars they fight in, otherwise it just wouldn’t
work. We have to trust in our democratically elected politicians to protect our
interests and preserve our national security. But in this centenary year, as we
mark the beginning of a conflict that killed millions, let us reflect on the
human cost, not the politics.