Poppy on the shirt

Quoted from jock dock tower

Re earlier question about asking why certain people choose not to wear poppies. Mine is not complex, but it is political and hopefully thought provoking.

Douglas Haig, later Earl Haig, was the person who took the decision to send troops over the top at the Somme to their certain deaths, no doubt whilst enjoying the good life back home befitting of his class (he never went to the front line) he then did the same at Ypres and other battles. It was pure cannon fodder, working men being sent to their deaths by one of the ruling class (he was in the Bullingdon Club at Oxford)

After the war finished, perhaps in an attempt to curry national favour, he was instrumental in setting up the British Legion and then the whole poppy thing grew out of that.

It is my honest belief that anybody who is a member of the armed forces and is injured in the course of their duty should be cared for by government, after all it was them who sent them to war, and not charity. I find it callous in the extreme that UK governments of all political persuasions opt for this route.

Secondly, I believe that the poppy somehow glorifies war certainly in the way it is used by the media. As a pacifist I have no truck with that.

Thirdly, the end of the First World War, often referred to as the Great War was meant to be "The war to end all wars" but we know that meant nothing as we still have politicians who think it improves their standing in this country if they are seen to act tough with aggressors elsewhere in the world and go to war as their default option. Note though, that this doesn't happen if the aggressor is bigger than them, ie Russia. They don't go to war with nations such as Saudi Arabia where they routinely behead criminals, fund terrorists, run a brutal dictatorship, but also have oil. Hypocrisy and war go hand in hand, and that in a nutshell is why I don't wear a poppy.

Quoted from jock dock tower

Douglas Haig, later Earl Haig, was the person who took the decision to send troops over the top at the Somme to their certain deaths, no doubt whilst enjoying the good life back home befitting of his class (he never went to the front line) he then did the same at Ypres and other battles. It was pure cannon fodder, working men being sent to their deaths by one of the ruling class (he was in the Bullingdon Club at Oxford)

Quoted from psgmariner

For someone who seems passionate about equality and treating everyone on their merits you are extremely presumptuous when it comes to those who are not working class. You often seem to tar all of those in the more privileged echelons of society with the same brush. If someone did this about the working class you would be all over it. Being educated at Oxford doesn't make you a bad person  just as having no qualifications doesn't.

Just an observation and apologies it is non footy. Here is some foot stuff to bring it back on track:

In 1921, Ash Lane in Southport, Merseyside and the football ground of Southport F.C. that was situated there, were both renamed as Haig Avenue in his honour.

Argentine football club Club Atlético Douglas Haig, founded in 1918, is named after Haig.

Quoted from jock dock tower

I happen to think, and always have done so, that class distinction is what has divided this country since time immemorial. People may have thought it gone away during the Major and Blair years, but it didn't. It's now more prevalent than ever.

Had Haig led from the front and gone over the top himself as a clarion call to the troops I'd not be able to have a go at him - but it's not just me, historians past and present have done the same. When somebody who had been a member of the Bullingdon Club - and only the creme de la creme get in there - sent hundreds of thousands of men to their deaths (against advice from the War Cabinet as well) how else do you expect it to be perceived?

Quoted from LH

Marinerz93 is sat somewhere red faced with steam coming out of his ears.