THE WITHERED POPPY
After the First War money was short. The heroes who fought came from places that had never heard of the Somme. Alt na Beulluch and the Somme have only water in common.Their women never knew where their husbands died. They were paid ten shillings for being a widow. Ten shillings is fifty pence.
Their children didn’t know why or where their fathers died either. Enough to know they were called and went and died. I saw their children. They scuffled on the sides of their feet. Their bones were fused from lack of milk. They had rickets. They starved.
Back to the withered poppy. Do you think every BBC broadcaster has paid for his poppy? Do you think that every politician who wears one has paid for those who served and died?
But it’s a charity, they say. It keeps Erskine. It looks after the permanently hurt.
This may have been true in days of poverty when Poppy Day was founded.
This year he Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland got a bonus of ten million pounds.
How much did the Royal Regiment of Scotland get for its wounded in the service of us all?
November 12th, 2011 at 9:01 am
“How much did the Royal Regiment of Scotland get for its wounded in the service of us all?”
They shoot poor brown people so that rich white people can get richer. I don’t buy a poppy, unless it’s one of these.
November 12th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I have been looking and looking for a web site that I came across only a few months ago, can`t find it now!!!. It detailed that scots had by percent of population lost an horrendous amount of service people in wars compared to any other of the UK nations. It was really an eyeopener, wish I could find it again.
.
But that is not in itself important, what is important is that every life lost is a tragedy, no matter what nation they come from, we are at the end of the day all human beings.
.
I watch as the queen, prime ministers, past and present, stand with their wreaths at the cenotaph, what is going through their minds ?, prehaps the thought “what a bunch of numpties the dead were” ?. I think there has never been a war, that was not for the enrichment of the few. There are true heroes in every war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/81/a6293081.shtml
November 15th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
@Dougie,
“They shoot poor brown people so that rich white people can get richer.”
The above statement is reminiscent of the intellectual capacity of a child who can only distinguish his toy soilders by the differing plastic coloring, maliciously the statement implies that Scots soldiers shoot poor (unarmed) brown people in some kind of perpetual RACE WAR.
Remembering my toy soliders particularly from the WW1 & WW2 if I was forced to give a color designation it would be predominantly though not exclusively white on white.
Where is the historical record of this perpetual RACE WAR where Scots soldiers shoot poor (unarmed) brown people motivated purely by the color of their skin.
November 15th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Dougie’s comments pertain to the Royal Regiment of Scotland which indicates his view is based upon current conflicts. The above poster should pause and think before committing his or her views to print, particularly when daring to question the intellect of another in the same comment.
The remaining nonsense re RACE WAR is either the worst attempt at strawman debating I have chanced upon for some time or the product of dare I say…… a child-like intellect.
November 15th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
And I meant to add that they are not ‘in the service of us all’. They are in the service of the 1%. If the last oil left on the planet was Scotland’s they’d turn right around and shoot us (only obeying orders, of course). Heroes? Give us a break.
November 16th, 2011 at 10:18 am
I think it’s disgusting that Erskine has to rely on charity. I also feel the same about “Children in Need”. I recall that one MP claimed on his expenses for a Poppy donation! Those females wearing enormous poppies appear to be turning it into a fashion item or is it a competition as to has given the most?Tony Blair is responsible for hundreds of maimed and dead soldiers, I wonder how much he gave to the Poppy appeal? Incidentally, I read that he is applying for a charity grant that will without doubt be of great benefit to him. I’m sick of reading about MP’s , Bankers etc. with their greedy snouts in the trough.
Finally, when my husband and brother served in the RAF we understood that it was for the defence of our country. Nowadays we send our youngsters off on the whim of people like Blair! I’ll do all in my power to discourage my grandson from considering a career in the armed services. I object to recruitment officers being allowed into schools to persuade vulnerable youngsters to signup, especially at this time of high unemployment.
November 16th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Erskine and Children in Need are charities.
November 17th, 2011 at 11:47 am
I think you missed the point on Frances Hamilton`s post Chris, as I read it, it says there should be no need for “Erskine and Children in Need” to be charities. I agree, I don`t give to charities, charities are bad things. They are only serving the interests of the rich, the rich don`t want things to get to the stage where people start to want to really change the system the serves the rich so well. The rich don`t want their ill gotten gains in far away offshore accounts taxed, they would much rather let us pay, hence (Cameron’s “Big Society”). I am of the opinion that things will have to get a LOT worse before they get better…Just my opinion you understand.
November 17th, 2011 at 11:30 pm
Not from my understanding Haggis. A registered charity, as both are, exist for the purpose of garnering charitible donations to then be dispersed (minus CEO, Directors, Non Exec’s, management, frontline staff costs….you get the point) to said charity’s niche market flag bearer….sorry slip of the tongue…..deserving recipients. Charities would fight tooth and nail to preserve their status which in turn means a preservation of the current state of affairs. Heaven forbid that the rich might actually be compelled to part with their not so hard earned billions thus rendering the need for charity obsolete. However, I trust we both agree on the last point.
November 18th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
“However, I trust we both agree on the last point.”
Indeed, we do.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/nov2011/suic-n15.shtml
November 21st, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Due to welfare and housing benefit reforms coming into effect on the 01/01/12 we could be looking at (rent default) mass evictions across Scotland, have the Scottish government any plans to deal with this - a Scottish welfare system - or are they going to plead ignorance and use the poor as political pawns.
November 22nd, 2011 at 10:58 am
A little OT, but thought you all may like to see this.
Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal off Bush and Blair.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kl-war-crime-tribunal
December 9th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
“I watch as the queen, prime ministers, past and present, stand with their wreaths at the cenotaph, what is going through their minds ?, prehaps the thought “what a bunch of numpties the dead were” ?.”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/dec2011/sold-d09.shtml
December 19th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Cartoon from 1914
http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/images/redcly165.jpg
December 19th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Definitely illustrates Ian Hamiltons article above.
“A soldier’s wife in trouble 4 Dec 1915″
http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/redcly185.htm
December 19th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
“Cartoon depicting eviction of soldier’s family
5 Jun 1915″
http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/redcly078.htm
December 25th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
“Christmas Day On The Somme”
“Twas Christmas Day on the Somme
The men stood on parade,
The snow laid six feet on the ground
Twas twenty in the shade.
Up spoke the Captain ‘gallant man`,
Just hear what I’ve to say,
You may not have remembered that
Today is Christmas Day.
The General has expressed a wish
This day may be observed,
Today you will only work eight hours,
A rest that’s well deserved.
I hope you’ll keep yourselves quite clean
And smart and spruce and nice,
The stream is frozen hard
But a pick will break the ice.
All men will get two biscuits each,
I’m sure you’re tired of bread,
I’m sorry there’s no turkey
but there’s Bully Beef instead.
The puddings plum have not arrived
But they are on their way,
I’ll guarantee they’ll be in time
To eat next Christmas Day.
You’re parcels would have been in time
But I regret to say
The vessel which conveyed them was
Torpedoed on the way.
The Quartermaster’s got your rum
But you may get some yet,
Each man will be presented with
A Woodbine Cigarette.
The Huns have caught us in the rear
And painted France all red,
Pray do not let that trouble you,
Tomorrow you’ll be dead.
Now ere you go I wish you all
This season of good cheer,
A very happy Christmas and
A prosperous New Year.”
Leslie George Rub (serving on the western front) 1916.
February 20th, 2012 at 9:37 am
Antalya Oteller…
[...]Ian Hamilton QC » Blog Archive » THE WITHERED POPPY[...]…
February 23rd, 2012 at 2:42 pm
“This year he Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland got a bonus of ten million pounds.”
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“The bank posted an attributable loss of £2bn in 2011, up from a loss of £1.1bn in 2010.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17128477