Today is Remembrance Day, the apex of the season in which we think about war and what it cost. It is not a time to glorify war, but to honour those who went to war in pursuit of peace.
There is nothing honourable about war. It is the monstrous offshoot of politics gone mad, and politicians seldom pay the price, leaving that up to others, especially too many of the younger generation.
The First World War stirred up great waves of patriotism. In sa国际传媒, parades of young men marched through streets to recruiting offices. It was a noble quest, a duty, to go off and fight for the mother country. As we look back 100 years to the start of that war, it becomes increasingly clear how stupid and ugly it was. The War to End All Wars did nothing of the sort; in fact, it sowed the seeds for the Second World War.
In short, the politicians bungled in starting the war, the politicians bungled in how they ended the war and millions paid the price.
The distinctions between good and evil were easier to discern in the Second World War. It became clear that pacificism and appeasement would not halt Germany鈥檚 drive for lebensraum or Japan鈥檚 imperial ambitions. Circumstances made war unavoidable. It became necessary to combat the advance of evil.
But, oh, the price that was paid!
In the First World War, an estimated 10 million combatants died. The military death toll in the Second World War is estimated at 22 million to 30 million on all sides.
And that is only part of the picture. Adding civilian deaths that resulted from war brings the total to nearly 18 million deaths from the First World War 鈥� about 1.8 per cent of the world鈥檚 population. With civilian deaths in the Second World War, the total could be as high as 80 million, three to four per cent of the world鈥檚 population.
In the confusion of war, accurate statistics are impossible, but there鈥檚 no question the totals are staggering, almost beyond comprehension.
Here at home, the cenotaphs list the names of those who died while serving. Yet they, too, tell only part of the story. Each of those deaths touched other lives. Each of those deaths robbed someone of a parent, a sibling, a child.
The soldiers, airmen and sailors who served during the Second World War fought to defend a way of life. Those who returned continued the struggle in different ways, building a strong and vibrant country that is the envy of much of the world today.
Second World War veterans have long been the backbone of Remembrance Day observances, but their numbers are dwindling. A million or so Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in Allied forces, and about 88,000 are still living. Their average age is 90.
Their passing should not be reason to abandon remembrance, but a reason to keep it alive.
Nor should we forget younger veterans and those still serving. They still need our support, and especially the support of the federal government that, while anxious to polish up sa国际传媒鈥檚 military history, seems neglectful of today鈥檚 armed forces and veterans. Modern reality dictates the need for an able and properly equipped military to defend the country and help enhance freedom and democracy elsewhere.
We were fortunate in the world wars that the battles did not occur on Canadian soil, did not take thousands or millions of civilian lives as they did elsewhere. We owe that to the men and women who fought and died on foreign soil. It is not glorifying war when we honour them.
鈥淎t the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.鈥�
