It is interesting, therefore, to look at the Google logos in various 'national versions' today – 11 November – 'armistice day'. The poppy fascists of the British establishment, and their supporters, often claim that the poppy is some sort of international symbol and that the refusal by Irish people to display it is somehow out of kink with 'civilised society'.
Here, then is today's Google UK logo, complete with poppy:
But in other parts of the British Empire – the areas claimed by some as loyal poppy-wearing territories, the poppy is largely absent. [NB all screenshots were captured on 11 November 2009]New Zealand:
Australia:
Only in Canada does Google consider the poppy to be worth adding to their page (but not the actual logo):
In less loyal ex-colonies the British symbolism is entirely lacking.USA:
Ireland:
And amongst the other countries directly (and much more devastatingly) involved in the First World War, no sign of poppies can be found.France:
Belgium:
Germany:
The evidence from Google, therefore, is that the poppy is not a universal symbol, or even a symbol common to participants in the first or second world wars – it is a symbol only of Britain and Canada. Attempts to browbeat Irish people into wearing it are dishonest and political, and must be treated with due contempt.
10 comments:
I think it's in memory of all those Irish Catholics who fought in The British Army and died under The Union Flag.
Lest We Forget.
What a sad thing that a symbol to remember the dead, many of which were victims of political decisions beyond their control should be turned into a sectarian argument. It's not even a British symbol in origin. The wearing of the poppy in remembrance to the WWI dead was started by an American woman inspired by the poem In Flanders Field (written by a Canadian solider and surgeon). Americans that wear a poppy do so on Veterans Day in MAY so it's absence from a Google site in November bears no relevance. The proceeds of poppy sales in the Republic of Ireland go solely to its own soldiers including those injured today in various UN peace keeping missions. While there may be some in Britain who wear a poppy as a jingoistic symbol they are in a tiny minority and the poppy is to remind us that war is not a glorious thing but one where the sacrifice of death and injury are very real. As for the "New World Order" of WWII being no threat to Canada I would seriously doubt if victorious that its influence would not have been felt way beyond the boundaries of Europe, this may be a matter of conjecture, but we should not let a symbol to remember those who suffered for the freedoms we enjoy today be neither hijacked for imperialism by politicising it nor demonised for something it isn’t.
correction to last post: we should not let a symbol to remember those who suffered for the freedoms we enjoy today be either hijacked for imperialism by politicising it or demonised for something it isn’t.
piece here of interest:
http://british-nats-watch.blogspot.com/
Anon from Canada, you aa being presumtious and counhter arguing points I havn't even raised. Like in other coutries dhousands of Canadians were conscripted (from 1943 in Canada's case). If you disagreed with Canada being in the war, even more reason to remember the individuals who were not aprt of the politics that put them in the fight. As for Stalin, he was a mainiac, but thank goodness there were western Allies to also do their part in the German defeat to stop Stalin taking the WHOLE of Europe. BVut I guess that wouldn't have bothered you since it's not in your back yard.
There is a certain kind of odious British imperialist who regards the wearing of the poppy as some kind of litmus test, as evidenced by the campaign of hate waged against a pub which had declined to allow an on-site canvas for donations. And these people are rightly to be scorned.
But let's not have amnesia or be in denial about the fact that more Irishmen from the south died in British uniforms in both world wars than from the north. Let's not airbrush ourselves from this bit of history as our enemies would like. Better to just use a different coloured poppy and be clear that the money goes to old Irish soldiers. Personally, I'd have no problem with a green poppy with an orange leaf and the money being allocated with no regard to the border.
If a man fought against the Nazis it surely didn't REALLY matter if he was from the north or south.
I find it quite hilarious that the article has been written under "poppy fascim". I have never heard of such a thing before.
Having had visits from the U.K., the Republic and France during early November I have seen many from those countries wearing the puppy. I have not seen Italians wearing the puppy though.
The Germans of course, having lost, and not remembering WWI do not wear the puppy. The puppy is a symbol of the victorious countries, mourning their dead, and yes Ireland, the whole island, was on the "winning side".
WWI was a useless war, nobody actually gained a lot from it, if at all. It killed millions of people, destabilized the world economy etc. WWI laid the foundations for the next war WWII, had WWI been avoided, Hitler, Lenin and Stalin would not have come to power, which would have been a good thing for all peoples on Earth.
a Scandinavian living inGermany.
Great post Horseman keep up the good work.
FFS hoboroad, this brown nosing really has to stop. Are you and bangordub his best mates or something?
"Britain's last WWI veteran shuns Remembrance Day"
Britain's last surviving World War I veteran shunned Remembrance Day commemorations Wednesday because he was against the glorification of war, his family was reported as saying.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091111/wl_asia_afp/australiabritainwarcommemoration;_ylt=ArvJ7mHDmJPEPE9fWUjJfYJvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTM3Y3Y1cjRwBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDA5MTExMS9hdXN0cmFsaWFicml/
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