The James McClean Sponsored Poppy Thread

[hearthammer]

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

If that's the argument against the poppy I might just wear one this year.

Each to their own.  No problem with that.

[welshbairn]

4 minutes ago, hearthammer said:

Each to their own.  No problem with that.

There are things that are true or false within all the greys. Not all opinions are valid interpretations of the available facts. Some are plain loony.

[Sergeant Wilson]

2 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

There are things that are true or false within all the greys. Not all opinions are valid interpretations of the available facts. Some are plain loony.

Don't encourage him.

[hearthammer]

Just now, welshbairn said:

There are things that are true or false within all the greys. Not all opinions are valid interpretations of the available facts. Some are plain loony.

You wear your poppy with pride, mi amigo, safe in the knowledge that you'll not be seen or viewed as a traitor.  I will reserve my own judgement on the poppy thing as well as other things that have gone on. 

[Squirrelhumper]

3 hours ago, hearthammer said:

I used to buy a poppy, but in more recent years, since the hijacking of same by the The rangers (1872-2012 r.i.p) clan as their symbol of staunchness and loyalty, i don't buy or wear one.

  

Snap, I used to always wear one.

I still make a donation but can't be arsed with the Poppy Police.

The stalls selling Hoodies etc on Buchannan Street are OTT.

[Dons_1988]

I do feel a bit for the veterans of the world wars that a significant number are so bitter towards it now because of what it’s become tbh.

The British legion love it though as I bet donations in the last 10 years or so have rocketed.

[Bairnardo]

I do feel a bit for the veterans of the world wars that a significant number are so bitter towards it now because of what it’s become tbh.

The British legion love it though as I bet donations in the last 10 years or so have rocketed.

I know we all post about it every year, but as far as I am concerned any sense of duty to the poppy fund will die with the last world war 2 veteran. They are the people for whom I believe we have a duty of care and owe a debt. After that, the UK govt have sent soldiers to die in politically motivated conflicts and I wont be a part of paying for it over and above my taxes.

[sjc]

4 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

7 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

I do feel a bit for the veterans of the world wars that a significant number are so bitter towards it now because of what it’s become tbh.

The British legion love it though as I bet donations in the last 10 years or so have rocketed.

I know we all post about it every year, but as far as I am concerned any sense of duty to the poppy fund will die with the last world war 2 veteran. They are the people for whom I believe we have a duty of care and owe a debt. After that, the UK govt have sent soldiers to die in politically motivated conflicts and I wont be a part of paying for it over and above my taxes.

I agree with your sentiment but you should read "The secret origins of World War 1" if you think that WW1 wasn't politically motivated.

[Dons_1988]

I know we all post about it every year, but as far as I am concerned any sense of duty to the poppy fund will die with the last world war 2 veteran. They are the people for whom I believe we have a duty of care and owe a debt. After that, the UK govt have sent soldiers to die in politically motivated conflicts and I wont be a part of paying for it over and above my taxes.

I agree.

But when it comes to the shite wars we’ve been involved in in modern times it’s the politicians, not the armed forces that get my anger.

I know some of them (maybe a lot) will be c***s but I feel for a young guy sent to die in a war dreamed up by wealthy born p***ks who’ve never seen a day of war in their life.

[welshbairn]

24 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

I do feel a bit for the veterans of the world wars that a significant number are so bitter towards it now because of what it’s become tbh.

The British legion love it though as I bet donations in the last 10 years or so have rocketed.

Think my recently departed Dad who was drafted into WW2 would have proudly worn an EU flag next to his poppy. Not so sure about my Grandads who both survived Gallipoli, but I think they'd both resent the hijacking for political purposes.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

I can't remember if I posted this last year and frankly I can't be fucked checking back, but the local legion is run by two of the biggest OURBRAVEBOYS!!!11 types you can imagine.

Last year they were demanding action against the local leisure centre management because they wouldn't allow him to leave collection tins in the centres (they already have 3 charities which they donate to). The snivelling fucker ran to his Councillor pals who "had a word" and he got his way. The guy and his wife are utter cretins who insist on reminding the public of their service at every opportunity.

He also has a weird disorder whereby he needs to capitalise REMEMBRANCE in every facebook post.

[Romeo]

55 minutes ago, MixuFixit said:

Heavy jet fuel can't melt steel beams vibe in here

@throbber

[HTG]

4 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

I can't remember if I posted this last year and frankly I can't be fucked checking back, but the local legion is run by two of the biggest OURBRAVEBOYS!!!11 types you can imagine.

Last year they were demanding action against the local leisure centre management because they wouldn't allow him to leave collection tins in the centres (they already have 3 charities which they donate to). The snivelling fucker ran to his Councillor pals who "had a word" and he got his way. The guy and his wife are utter cretins who insist on reminding the public of their service at every opportunity.

He also has a weird disorder whereby he needs to capitalise REMEMBRANCE in every facebook post.

This does my tits in. Organisations will often identify the charities they want to support over a year or period of time with the intention of raising stronger awareness and more money. Why should they push that to the side to jump to the tune of these self absorbed c***s? If the leisure centre chose Help for Heroes in January, that's fine by me. If preference is for Cat Rescue that's fine too. Fucking h*n snowflakes. 

[Cerberus]

The 'membering of oor brave boays has got worse since Brexit.

[Bairnardo]

I agree with your sentiment but you should read "The secret origins of World War 1" if you think that WW1 wasn't politically motivated.

I agree.

But when it comes to the shite wars we’ve been involved in in modern times it’s the politicians, not the armed forces that get my anger.

I know some of them (maybe a lot) will be c***s but I feel for a young guy sent to die in a war dreamed up by wealthy born p***ks who’ve never seen a day of war in their life.

Fair points from both of you but as I have said before, the diffeence is a vast number of those who fought werent doing so as their occupation and in pursuit of a wage. Especially WW2. Imagine how many people would have died at the hands of the Nazis if they hadnt picked up the gun.

And I am not romanticising it or giving it the thicko "we would be speaking German...." angle. That was a wolf at the door scenario. I had colossal respect for what so many young guys did in response. I quite simply cant equate that to soldiers joining up and then going to fight in Afghanistan at the behest of the Americans.

Its tragic that lads die in those curcumstances, but its just not the same

[Dons_1988]

Fair points from both of you but as I have said before, the diffeence is a vast number of those who fought werent doing so as their occupation and in pursuit of a wage. Especially WW2. Imagine how many people would have died at the hands of the Nazis if they hadnt picked up the gun.

And I am not romanticising it or giving it the thicko "we would be speaking German...." angle. That was a wolf at the door scenario. I had colossal respect for what so many young guys did in response. I quite simply cant equate that to soldiers joining up and then going to fight in Afghanistan at the behest of the Americans.

Its tragic that lads die in those curcumstances, but its just not the same

Oh I totally agree with all of that.

I’m just not an anti armed forces person per se.

I’m anti the circus around poppies, the poppy police, the point scoring and the fact it’s been politicised to distract from the shambolic reasons these lads are sent away to these places.

[Shotgun]

24 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

Last year they were demanding action against the local leisure centre management because they wouldn't allow him to leave collection tins in the centres (they already have 3 charities which they donate to). The snivelling fucker ran to his Councillor pals who "had a word" and he got his way.

We had a similar "trial by social media" here a while back after a bunch of military fetishists mounted a campaign against a local supermarket for "refusing to let us place our Troop Support Group collection boxes inside the store." Howls of outrage and demands for boycotts all round. What was overlooked was that the supermarket was a long-time supporter of a different Troop Support Group and had their collection boxes prominently displayed by the front doors and at the registers. It just wasn't this particular Troop Support Group.

So these fuckers actually expected the supermarket to have multiple collection boxes for almost identical charities side by side in their store. And were doing all they could do damage their business because the supermarket didn't see it that way.

[Bairnardo]

Oh I totally agree with all of that.

I’m just not an anti armed forces person per se.

I’m anti the circus around poppies, the poppy police, the point scoring and the fact it’s been politicised to distract from the shambolic reasons these lads are sent away to these places.

Totally. I don't have a problem with the military at all. Like you its the politicians, and the media and public drivel that is encouraged. We are on the same page here.

[sjc]

25 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Fair points from both of you but as I have said before, the diffeence is a vast number of those who fought werent doing so as their occupation and in pursuit of a wage. Especially WW2. Imagine how many people would have died at the hands of the Nazis if they hadnt picked up the gun.

And I am not romanticising it or giving it the thicko "we would be speaking German...." angle. That was a wolf at the door scenario. I had colossal respect for what so many young guys did in response. I quite simply cant equate that to soldiers joining up and then going to fight in Afghanistan at the behest of the Americans.

Its tragic that lads die in those curcumstances, but its just not the same

Again I don't disagree with your sentiments but people talk about the Nazis like they invented fascism. They got a lot of their eugenicist ideology from 1920's America, where forced sterilisations of undesirables were legal in 20+ states. Not to mention Hitler was funded to power by the likes of Prescott Bush (yes, father of Bush 43, & grandfather of Bush 45), Paul Walburg and the rest of the banking elite. Don't think WW2 was any different from WW1. 

Major General Smedley Butler was right. "War is a racket"

*just to be clear, I'm in no way defending the Nazis btw.

 

Edited October 10, 2019 by sjc

[Bairnardo]

Again I don't disagree with your sentiments but people talk about the Nazis like they invented fascism. They got a lot of their eugenicist ideology from 1920's America, where forced sterilisations of undesirables were legal in 20+ states. Not to mention Hitler was funded to power by the likes of Prescott Bush (yes, father of Bush 43, & grandfather of Bush 45), Paul Walburg and the rest of the banking elite. Don't think WW2 was any different from WW1. 
Major General Smedley Butler was right. "War is a racket"
*just to be clear, I'm in no way defending the Nazis btw.
 

But they were rounding up and gassing people on an industrial scale though, just as an example. WW2 makes me think of my granddad, gone now but in no way a fighting man. In no way a man who was proud to British or any of the cliched stuff we see in association with the armed forces. A clever guy and a pen pusher basically all his days

He put himself in a lancaster bomber in response to the threat from Nazi Germany. Thats the benchmark on which I judge the difference. Him then is me when I was a younger man. There were thousands like him and I cannot say I would be as brave as they were. For that reason I believe all efforts should be made to ensure these guys live out there days in dignity. It is hard not to talk in romanticised terms but thats jsut how I see it for them.

Thing is, IMO his generation dont want a fuss made. The gaudy displays now are done in spite of those guys, not for them. In my expereince its not what people of that generation want. They are being sidelined from their own cause. Its fucking putrid tbh. Theres also the angle that asking the public to pay to look after veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq is a crutch that allowd the govt to disregard their duty of care.