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I would argue that focusing solely on the nobility of those who died in combat while ignoring what led to them being forced into combat in the first place, is p

I would argue that focusing solely on the nobility of those who died in combat while ignoring what led to them being forced into combat in the first place, is political. I think the poppy, and Remembrance Day in general, spends far too little time examining _why_ these people were sent to die.

bigbubba 6y ago
Sounds like you're saying it's political for being insufficiently political.
- Spivak 6y ago
  I’m not about to wade into Canadian culture because I know just enough to be very wrong so I hope it’s fine to use a US parallel. If Memorial Day was “celebrate the individual personal lives and accomplishments of all these people who died at war” then it’s apolitical. But that isn’t really how it goes unfortunately — I wish it did. Instead it’s about celebrating and glorifying our troops and our military which is super political.
  - goatinaboat 6y ago
    Instead it’s about celebrating and glorifying our troops and our military which is super political. How is it political - what party do you think it supports?
    - JumpCrisscross 6y ago
      > How is it political - what party do you think it supports? Partisan != political. (Though everything is in my opinion political.)
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
Gibbon1 6y ago
I think the general cultural consensus is WWI is the fault of Europe's leaders, particularly but not completely that of Germany. And was characterized by a callous disregard for soldiers lives on all sides.
- vkou 6y ago
  That's not the impression I get from the Canadian Remembrance day posts I see on Facebook ever year. Without fail, all of them describe WWI as a stalwart selfless sacrifice for freedom and the motherland. Then I ask 'exactly what freedoms were at risk', and the authors of those posts start hemming and hawing and tut-tutting. I wouldn't go as far as to claim that wearing a poppy is a statement for any of the possible interpretations of Remembrance day in particular, though.

bigbubba 6y ago

Sounds like you're saying it's political for being insufficiently political.

Spivak 6y ago
I’m not about to wade into Canadian culture because I know just enough to be very wrong so I hope it’s fine to use a US parallel. If Memorial Day was “celebrate the individual personal lives and accomplishments of all these people who died at war” then it’s apolitical. But that isn’t really how it goes unfortunately — I wish it did. Instead it’s about celebrating and glorifying our troops and our military which is super political.
- goatinaboat 6y ago
  Instead it’s about celebrating and glorifying our troops and our military which is super political. How is it political - what party do you think it supports?
  - JumpCrisscross 6y ago
    > How is it political - what party do you think it supports? Partisan != political. (Though everything is in my opinion political.)
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

Gibbon1 6y ago

I think the general cultural consensus is WWI is the fault of Europe's leaders, particularly but not completely that of Germany. And was characterized by a callous disregard for soldiers lives on all sides.

vkou 6y ago
That's not the impression I get from the Canadian Remembrance day posts I see on Facebook ever year. Without fail, all of them describe WWI as a stalwart selfless sacrifice for freedom and the motherland. Then I ask 'exactly what freedoms were at risk', and the authors of those posts start hemming and hawing and tut-tutting. I wouldn't go as far as to claim that wearing a poppy is a statement for any of the possible interpretations of Remembrance day in particular, though.