Remembrance Day today, and I have some issues; in fact, I have begun to call it Revisionists Day.
Each year it seems like to the build-up to Remembrance Day gets bigger and bigger, and starts earlier. We are being bombarded with a message of how "Brave" Canadians "gave" their lives and died for our freedom. But I challenge this. Did Canadian soldiers actually "give" their lives? Or were there lives taken from them. And were they actually fighting for our "freedom?" I argue that their lives were taken, and although the soldiers may have believed they were fighting for freedom, they were actually fighting a war for something, and someone else.
"War is politics continued by other, violent means."
- Carl von Clausewitz, early 19th century Prussian theoretician and strategist.
World War I:
British historian Niall Ferguson wrote that the first World War was a war between capitalist states, resulting from their rivalry for world markets, as every state was not only concerned in consolidating its own market but also in conquering new markets.
The economic and social/political events that led up to the first World War are beyond the space I have here; but basically, world colonial players/powers (both National & Regional governments, as well as corporations) in growing industrialism, were competing for land, markets, resources, etc., leading to the war. Let's not fool ourselves, World War I was never about freedom and democracy, as Democratic nationals allied with Monarchies and dictatorships to fight against other Democratic nations allied with Monarchies and dictatorships. And the end of the war did not see these monarchies or dictatorships transform into "free" democracies.
In fact in 1914 Canada was in the midst of running its own concentration camps -- the residential schools -- as part of its genocide against the First Nations. Women were not legally considered "persons" under the law, and indigenous people, Asian descendants, women, people with disabilities, and men who did not OWN property were not allowed to vote.
Contrary to what is currently taught in our schools, the First World War came to an end when in 1917 soldiers on all fronts refused to keep fighting. Russian soldiers joined the revolution to overthrow the Tsar. German sailors mutinied and took control of their vessels, German soldiers joined the German revolution, French soldiers mutinied, and in Canada, Canadians resisted conscription. November 11 was a product of war resisters and revolution.
Again, historical analysis is beyond the space I have in this blog, but their is a common theme. Wars seeing working class soldiers fighting against working class soldiers. Arguments can be made about revolutionary wars, wars of Independence, etc, but today I am arguing that during Remembrance Day, we are being encouraged to Remember a Revisionist version of History.
So I will recognize Remembrance Day, I will wear a red poppy with a Red Fist in the middle, and I will wear a White Poppy of peace.
I will remember the millions of working people that died, had their lives taken from them--did not give their lives. I will remember the atrocities committed in the name of war. I will remember the war resisters and revolutionaries that fought to end war, fought to end poverty, and human rights abuses.
I will remember the millions of trade union activists, socialists, communists, pacifists, homosexuals, gypsies, homeless, that Hitler had rounded up and killed before he invaded other countries.
I will remember the volunteers that fought for freedom in the Spanish Civil War against Fascist Franco.
But I will remember the people that had their lives taken from them as they struggled, and continue to struggle to stop the endless series of wars drives by Capitalist States fighting on behalf of their corporations.
I will remember everyone who has struggled to end war, to prevent war, and who died in someone else's war.
