The fact that it changed the course and ultimately the outcome of the war seems almost incidental compared to the heroism displayed by so many on this and other battlefields during the entirety of World War 2.
While I have no doubt that our young people would inevitably respond in much the same way when asked to defend their homeland, I do have a few questions about whether they would be as prepared as their forebears were to fight in defence of our freedoms on battlefields on the other side of the world.
There is no question that the world is a different place from those events 80 years ago and the modern inhabitants view conflicts that require a personal response as something they need time to think about before responding.
Perhaps sadly, the fact that we feel the need to ask those questions is a reflection of how self serving and even isolationist, much of the world’s populations have become - particularly when they are faced with an aggressor who is threatening the lives of innocents in countries we bear no allegiance to or don’t have much in common with.
In modern times, the call to duty is being answered by a response that suggests many of these conflicts are being regarded, rightly or wrongly, as somebody else’s problem.
But is it realistic to assume we can isolate ourselves from a world that is no longer out of sight, out of mind ?
Which is somewhat worrying considering that future conflicts are more likely to involve multiple nations defending against an aggressor who has the backing of other powerful rogue states. In those circumstances it may not be possible to sit idly by on the sidelines watching as those nations who share our values are beaten into submission simply because they lack the military backing of even small fry like ourselves. This new environment will mean that a decision as to whether we get involved or not will depend on whether our own security is threatened and it is an unfortunate fact that most conflicts all have the capacity to escalate involving even those like us living at the bottom of the world.
The modern world has become divided in two ideologically opposed blocs, one of which is totally committed to the destruction of the economies and defensive capability of the other.
Consequently, in most future conflicts we will no longer enjoy the option of being able to sit it out irrespective of where it originated and being fought.
So, our future security is inextricably linked to developing defence alliances such as Aukus with our traditional more capable allies who have strategic interests in keeping us safe.
But responding to these new truisms will mean commitments being made by our government that a significant portion of our population will vehemently oppose.
Unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury to remain living in isolation.
We will have to be involved whether we like it or not.
It is in all our best interests to do so.
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
4 comments:
As you suggest Clive, most Kiwis would gladly heed the call to defend their own shores, but would pass at the opportunity to give up their lives to defend US hegemony or the theft of another Sovereign Nations resources to line the pockets of multinational corporations.
In addition, many people support what would be considered "the enemy" if we were forced to join the current selection of wars eg...I support Russia in defending their borders against NATO aggression & the efforts of the US to enlist everybody else in a proxy war that they never had a chance of winning, in order to destabilise a foreign power with the sole purpose of propping up the USAs rapidly fading global superiority. Zelensky is a war criminal that is responsible for the deaths of almost 600,000 of his countrymen while siphoning off over $400,000,000 of funding to purchase mansions & superyachts & I would personally volunteer to hang him when the Russians decide to end it.
Netanyahu & his Zionist cronies in the Knesset are guilty of genocide & crimes against humanity & should also be strung up & there is no doubt as to their guilt as, in their hubris, they have admitted their game plan is to rid Palestine of all non Jews, even though they lack the support of the majority of all but the hard line, separatist Israelis & Rabbis & Jews the world over decry their heinous crimes.
Draw a line in the sand on any Continent on the planet & there will be division...
My granddad was an RAF bomber captain. He had 8 crew and their job was to bomb germany on night raids. He knew that the odds when they went up were 5050. He told me that they just didn't think about it. And he made it through the war and lived until his 90s. His strong character was not unusual. All his mates were similar. all mentally strong, very humble, seldom talked about the war and had common sense by the bucketload. If only people still had these values today, then we wouldn't be in the mess that we are in.
I watched the d day presentation..I understand the need for people to gather, to share their losses their remaining memories too. We all know the great cost of war..the great cost to those that went to war..the Americans the English the Anzac' of our own NZ..yes war a terrible thing..is it not sad that we choose to not honor the hundreds of thousands of Russian soilders killed also..( probably conscripted) fighting the same enemy we were..how many Chinese soliders also lost to the same war..fighting the same enenmy..but of course our loss must of been greater?..more worthy of remembering?. All loss should be mourned not just the ones we veiw favorably.
I have news for you Clive. By 1944 most of those young men in the services were not there because "they were prepared to die" But because the draft in USA and conscription here gave them the choice between going to war or jail.
Both World Wars and Vietnam in USA saw tens of thousands of young men press ganged into the carnage and there were not many who professed the noble ideas you romantically espouse. Once caught up in the net many accepted the inevitability and volunteered for arms of the service that attracted them for reasons other than love of country. This was the case for most of the young men on both sides.
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