Cheeky holiday

A government-backed study has recommended the creation of a new public holiday, Armed Forces Day (BBC News: Backing for Armed Forces Day plan). At a time when there is a significant shortfall in recruitment to the Armed Forces, as a result of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, would it be cynical of me to ask if this was another ploy by the government to promote militarism? As someone who (for my sins in a previous life?) grew up in the 1980's, the idea of an Armed Forces Day cunjures up images of the public military parades in Red Square, Moscow, during Russia's Stalinist (ie so called "communist") days!

There have been a number of ideas put forward recently, to encourage more people to join the Army. Gordon Brown (or should that be Bliar Mk II?) has said young people should be encouraged to join the Army Cadets - despite the fact that, in many areas, the Army Cadets are the dominant (if not the only) organisation providing youth activities. This is hardly surprising, considering the Cadets have an £80 million budget at a time when council youth clubs are being cut back, and many youth organisations now find it increasingly difficult to recruit organisers etc (not helped by measures brought in over the past 5+ years to combat Paedophiles™). There are now proposals to increase Cadets involvement in state schools (The Independent: Use the force: Why ministers want all pupils to learn to fight) - no doubt tied in with the de-facto privatisation of schools which comes with Academies (for more info on Academies, see the Anti-Academies Alliance website).

One idea I do agree with, however, is the proposal to ban discrimination against army soldiers in uniform. Opposition to war and the military should not be allowed to translate into abuse of soldiers who have little say over where they are sent to fight. Instead, such anger should be targeted at those who give the orders - namely the Army Generals and the Government. (Now how about the MOD dropping its own exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation, eg the Disability Discrimination Act ?)

Then again, while the government and MOD cry crocodile tears about the abuse of military personnel, they are the worst for riding roughshod over their own soldiers' rights and welfare. By keeping soldiers in sub-standard accommodation, ill-equipping them for battle, and - last but certainly not least - sending them to fight and die in illegal, immoral and unjustifiable wars :-(

It would be extremely difficult to argue against another public holiday, however. Especially when UK workers have fewer paid holidays per year than elsewhere in Europe. But I can think of at least 2 possible holidays, which do not involve promoting militarism. How about a Peace Day, celebrating peace and opposition to war. Or Diversity Day, celebrating the contributions to society made by minorities and opposition to all oppressions, eg racism, sexism, homophobia, disablism.

But there's one holiday I'd love to celebrate in my lifetime ...

Overthrow of Capitalism and Imperialism Day !

The lesson today is how to die

Good to see the teachers' NUT union (they've been rather active recently!) voting to oppose military recruitment in schools (BBC News: Teachers reject 'Army propaganda'). Especially since this comes against a backdrop of the increasing unpopularity of imperialist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US death toll in Iraq exceeding 4000 (BBC News: US military Iraq toll hits 4000), the UK death toll there exceeding 100, and 1.22 MILLION Iraqis killed in Iraq (Stop The War Coalition: Iraq study: 1,220,580 murdered since invasion)

The NUT's decision is especially welcome, since it also comes against a backdrop of the military Establishment - government politicians included - using incidents of harassment of soldiers as an excuse to attempt to stifle any criticism of the military. This has led to the attempts to gag former soldiers who have spoken out against the war, such as Ben Griffin who spoke at the Stop The War rally in London on 15th March (report on STW website). The Defence Secretary, Des Browne, has even gone so far as to tell coroners giving verdicts on dead soldiers, not to criticise the armed forces! (BBC News: Minister in soldier inquests plea)

I decry any harassment of soldiers, who are, like Gordon Gentle (son of Rose Gentle, of Military Families Against The War) who was one of the first British soldiers to be killed fighting in Iraq, brave people who have been sent into an unjust war by their leaders. Yet to call them 'lions led by donkeys' would be a grave insult - to donkeys!

Yet, as the number of Armed Forces recruits drops to the point where the military has a recruitment shortfall, it's not just in schools where this 'military grooming' of kids is taking place. The Army themselves have websites devoted to recruitment, advertised on TV, and in many areas the Army Cadets are the dominant (if not the only) free-time activities for young people. In the US it's even worse, with social networking sites, YouTube, and even video games being used as tools for Armed Forces recruitment.

But there is hope. Even as the Iraq War started back in 2003, many school students walked out of school to take part in anti-war protests (who says kids don't understand politics!), and there was no shortage of young people on the March 15th Stop The War rally.

And it is quite probable that many more young people would be less interested in joining the Armed Forces if they knew what such a career choice really entails. This will be hard when they are subjected to an onslaught of propaganda glamorising the Armed Forces, which does not mention the down sides of military life (eg having to kill, risking being killed, being subject to heavy discipline).

If anyone reading (that means you!) knows any young people who are thinking of signing up to the Army, Navy or RAF, you can help them make a more informed choice by suggesting they visit the Before You Sign Up website.