Merry Anzac day, one and all
Today I am going to risk the wrath and retribution of patriotic Aussies everywhere, but I just can't stay silent on this issue, especially not today on the 90th anniversary of the heroic sacrifices made by our servicemen and women (yeah right) on that beach in Gallipoli. My television (OK, it's really Carl's, but it's in my house) is chock-full of non-stop live ANZAC-related events, including the dawn service live from Turkey. This would be fine if I had something else to do, but as it is it's merely depriving me of bad daytime TV. Like with the pope's funeral, we are once again being told in no uncertain terms that no real Australian would want to watch anything else.
I do not object to the remembering, with sadness, of the wasted lives (on both sides, may I add; Turkey lost far more lives at Gallipoli than we did) and pointless suffering. By all means, let us look back with sorrow and horror, and hopefully we may learn something. What I object to is that what we are being told to learn from all of this is that death in war is glorious and heroic. That those on "our side" are great men; almost divine, rather than merely human. The memory of this war, and the veterans of this war and the wars since, are being made into sacred relics, nearly akin to religious idols.
The effect of all of this is a very useful one. One day a year, we are reminded that we are Australion, and that when we are told to we fight fiercely and well to protect this "lucky country" of ours. Australia takes a break from being part of the rest of the world, and spends the day in looking back on a (relatively) small and strategically pointless battle, chest swelling with pride, and head swimming with the glories of times past. It's a shame, for the government, that there isn't an election this afternoon, because they would probably be re-elected with an unprecedented majority, carried on a wave of patriotism.
I realise that I myself am contributing to the whole thing; after complaining that there's nothing on TV but ANZACia, I go on and talk of nothing else. This is the risk one runs when one is at home by oneself on a Monday, I suppose. Ultimately, my point is this; let us remember the horrors of war, the (mostly unintentional) sacrifices the soldiers made. Then let us, instead of looking inward and backward, engage with the rest of the world. Vast numbers of people are suffering needlessly right now, never mind 90 years ago. Let us, the lucky country, use the lecacy of those soldiers to remind us of that; it's normally easier to think about our own than about others, but once thinking of human suffering it is a small jump. Hopefully we can make that jump, and extend the sorrow we feel at our own losses to compassion for those suffering today.
I do not object to the remembering, with sadness, of the wasted lives (on both sides, may I add; Turkey lost far more lives at Gallipoli than we did) and pointless suffering. By all means, let us look back with sorrow and horror, and hopefully we may learn something. What I object to is that what we are being told to learn from all of this is that death in war is glorious and heroic. That those on "our side" are great men; almost divine, rather than merely human. The memory of this war, and the veterans of this war and the wars since, are being made into sacred relics, nearly akin to religious idols.
The effect of all of this is a very useful one. One day a year, we are reminded that we are Australion, and that when we are told to we fight fiercely and well to protect this "lucky country" of ours. Australia takes a break from being part of the rest of the world, and spends the day in looking back on a (relatively) small and strategically pointless battle, chest swelling with pride, and head swimming with the glories of times past. It's a shame, for the government, that there isn't an election this afternoon, because they would probably be re-elected with an unprecedented majority, carried on a wave of patriotism.
I realise that I myself am contributing to the whole thing; after complaining that there's nothing on TV but ANZACia, I go on and talk of nothing else. This is the risk one runs when one is at home by oneself on a Monday, I suppose. Ultimately, my point is this; let us remember the horrors of war, the (mostly unintentional) sacrifices the soldiers made. Then let us, instead of looking inward and backward, engage with the rest of the world. Vast numbers of people are suffering needlessly right now, never mind 90 years ago. Let us, the lucky country, use the lecacy of those soldiers to remind us of that; it's normally easier to think about our own than about others, but once thinking of human suffering it is a small jump. Hopefully we can make that jump, and extend the sorrow we feel at our own losses to compassion for those suffering today.
posted by Nick | 11:58 am
6 Comments:
Here here!
First of all, let me say I was surprised at the parenthetical diminution of women’s roles in Australian Military Service-- even at Gallipoli-- from such renowned feminists as those of curly-headed wisdom. There were, in fact, Australian women (and of course, countless more Turkish women) who lost their lives as a direct result of Gallipoli. Australian women volunteered for service in auxiliary roles, such as cooks, drivers, interpreters, munitions workers and skilled farm workers. The government also welcomed the service of Australian nurses, who were sent to England, Egypt, Palestine, Libya, Greece, Syria, Ceylon, Malaya, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands (as well as throughout Australia), often in trying conditions or close to the front, where they were exposed to shelling and aerial bombardment. They served on hospital ships, troop transports, base and camp hospitals and some spent time in Prisoner of War camps.
For Australians, the image usually associated with 25 April, 1915 is that of (male) Australian soldiers charging bravely up the steep and barren slopes of Gallipoli. Less appreciated is the picture of an Australian nurse on that same day attending to hundreds of battered and bleeding men on the decks and in the confined wards of a hospital ship, or to wounded men who were ferried out to the Gascon, lying off Anzac Cove, which often rained with bullets. Could it be that our history-makers have not made their stories a more prominent part of public recognition simply because they were not men? Perhaps their contribution was secondary because they were not touting guns (yeah right). Please do not join these ranks.
Secondly, it was my understanding (correct me if I’m wrong) that Anzac Day commemorates Australians involved in all wars. Considering the number of military and aid institutions established by women,
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
Women's Royal Australian Naval Service
Australian Army Medical Corps
Australian Army Nursing Service
Australian Women's Army Service
Voluntary Aid Detachments
Australian Army Medical Women's Service
Royal Australian Air Force Medical Service
Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service
Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
The Australian Red Cross
to name a few (and that’s just pre-1945), women have equal right to be commemorated, be commemoration right or wrong.
One final point, Australians are lucky. One need only drop by a country around the corner to know that. And if there is celebration or stern memorial to simply appreciate the loss of human life, or be grateful for sacrificing something as dear as one’s own life, so that we are not now living under communist or fascist regime—well, I appreciate that. In a very Christian country, this might amount to religious idolatry for some, because the Bible claims that Jesus Christ, a human being, sacrificed his own life out of love, and that anything done in a similar spirit is of similar worth. To each his own. But if you want to blame someone for glorifying death, blame the Bible. I think the real root of your protest, though, is that Gallipoli (nor most wars) was not a wholly voluntary self-sacrifice. You’re probably right. However, I can’t help but wonder if much is wholly voluntary in this world. Choices are hard, and they often get made for you. Doesn’t make it right, I know—but I didn’t get to choose that.
It has now been my turn to risk the wrath and retribution of my most beloved Australians, particularly those of curly-headed wisdom, but their passion intrigued me. Either that, or I'm desperately succeeding at procrastination of several papers and exam-study. All said, I love your kick, Nick—don’t stop;)
PS--I actually agree with a lot of what you said!! (You know, the parts I didn't argue with;) Love, M.
Right, well I'm wading in. All that about wrath and retribution stands. I state several opinions here which are controversial and I don't back up. All the same, let the wild rumpus begin!
First of all, the parenthetical "yeah right" referred to "the heroic sacrifices made by our servicemen and women", not just "women". What you say is true, but Nick was not joining those ranks.
Secondly, yes, Australia is a lucky country. But I believe that from that should come a sense of responsibility to those less fortunate, rather than safe, back-patting self-glorification.
Thirdly, Australia has been to war numerous times in her short histroy. Most of those times (IMHO) we were foreign soldiers in foreign lands, and did not belong there. In fact, perhaps I could commiserate more with the local soldiers, who were defending their own turf, for their own reasons, than with our own. The the only time I can think of in which we were actually protecting ourselves (preserving our "luckiness"), might be Papua New Guinea during WWII. I very rarely hear that mentioned in the rhetoric which surrounds ANZAC day.
Fourthly, yes, some choices are made for you while you're not looking. Others drag you kicking and screaming into a battlefield where you need to kill or be killed, for no strategic advantage to an unworthy cause. That's tragic, not honourable. Worth remembering, but with horror and regret. Stern memorial is in order, not celebration.
My parenthetical diminution, I must say, was designed to convey much of what your criticism has pointed out, in a single sarcastic comment. Perhaps I should have been a little more wordy. I agree that the role and sacrifice of women in war is grossly undervalued. That was really my point; "servicemen and women" is a stock phrase, which is used mainly for political correctness rather than as actual recognition.
My point is exactly yours; instead of a true appreciation for the horrors and privations suffered by everyone involved in war, this commemoration has become a celebration of those "(male) Australian soldiers charging bravely up the steep and barren slopes". I feel that it is an 'event', something to be sold, rather than a true memorial. Point in case - the bizarre event management at Anzac Cove on Monday.
I agree with you that much in life is not able to be controlled, that choices are often made for you rather than by you. The reason I made the point of the soldiers' sacrifices being involuntary is this; though many of them indeed volunteered for the army with great excitement, I feel that had they known what they were volunteering for, they may have chosen otherwise. There was very little knowledge or information about "what war was really like", and much government propaganda about how wonderful it was to fight for your country (I won't even go into the fact that really they were fighting for someone else's country; let's not get sidetracked). I suspect, also, that your average soldier does not keep sight of the higher strategic reasons for fighting; that it rapidly becomes an "us versus them" situation.
As for whether we'd be under a communist or fascist regime without those sacrifices, well, I don't know. I suppose it's possible. Certainly history would be different in one way or another. I certainly appreciate the way we live today, however it is we got here. And if nothing else, I suppose, at least the loss of all those lives gave us modern folk an extra day off each year...
Anonymous Aussie wishes to take further Curls' idea of Anzac as becoming an Event, something to be sold.
The commodification of the tragic and often unnecessary deaths of military and auxillary personnel (note lack of gender specification:)) turns commemoration into spectacle, tragedy into glory. Many veterans object to their risk and sacrifice being mobilised in the name of jingoistic nationalism, and with good reason. We should fear the consequences of baiting the rabid dog of nationalism. It's happened enough times before...
Internal unity is demanded, dissent is quashed, the definition of 'us' is refined and narrowed, 'they' are demonised and the people become willing to support draconian measures and aggressive actions without reflection...
Sound familiar?
When we speak of war, let us speak of the common experience of war, not just within national communities but between them. In these strange times, let us consider the possibility that there have been times in our past when we had more in common with the poor bastard in the opposing trench than with those giving the orders.
Let us be proud of what our nation has achieved, but let us also take care not to take a contested, abstract idea and make it a concrete entity. Too-narrow definitions of community and nation contribute to thousands of deaths every week. These lives, and those of those who are left behind, deserve our remembrance and our reflection. Anzac Day is about real people, not just the symbolic and political mileage that can be drawn from their corpses.
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