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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Poppy fascism used against Irish leaders in politics and sport -- No reason to glorify horrific deaths in World War I

Posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 07:18 AM

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Irish leader Enda Kenny made the decision not to wear a Remembrance Day poppy

I see Irish leader Enda Kenny, Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, rugby star Brian O’Driscoll, and soccer star James McClean have all been attacked for not wearing the poppy on Remembrance Day.

That is poppy fascism at its finest.

John Snow, the distinguished British commentator, refuses to wear a poppy for that very reason, as he rails against the Poppy fanatics who regard not wearing one in honor of Britain’s war dead as close to treason.

I’ll wear my own poppy when the British wear an Easter Lily remembering the Easter Rising of 1916 dead – that is it, pure and simple.

The First World War was a complete abomination, a blood filled massacre on a thousand battlefields that left millions dead and ravaged and led to the even bloodier Second World War conflict.

Thirty seven million died including 8 million soldiers in the bloodiest war in history to that point – and we are supposed to celebrate that?

Beside that, Patrick Pearse’s 1916 Rebellion with 446 killed was like a rounding error for the First World War casualties.

Read more: Enda Kenny and sports stars Brian O’Driscoll and James McClean criticised over Poppy Day snub

On a point of principle I would not want to commemorate it, no more than I would the Vietnam War here which I regard as the closing kick of American paranoia about communism in Southeast Asia.

Very few wars are just, as the churches and your common sense will tell you, and World War One, which has its origins in a series of utterly obscure events in the Balkans, will never be in that category.

Of course there were brave men who fought in it and died, lions led by donkeys as the Ulster Volunteers called it, but that does not excuse its utter uselessness.

For any Irish leader to wear the poppy would be to ennoble that dreadful struggle where the upper class Brits sent millions of working-class men to their deaths.

No way say I that it should be remembered and treated as some kind of antiseptic heroic deed from long ago.

The men who died so needlessly would surely not want it so.

So count me out poppy fascists -- unless you wear the Easter Lily too.

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57 comments

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WoundedKnee | Nov 13, 2012, 01:01 PM EST

Many thousands of Irishmen perished in the War Between the States. How come the Irish aren't obsessing about commemorating their sacrifice? It is calculated that some 40.000 Irishmen fought in the Armies of the CSA, and of course a bigger number on the Union side. After the War, many veterans on both sides combined in the Irish Republican force which invaded Canada in an attempt to take the pressure of their Fenian brothers in Ireland. Why do the Irish fawn over the occupiers of their land instead of remembering these brave men? Instead of the wretched poppy, we need to devise a symbol that remembers Irishmen and women killed in action in all conflicts.

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pilib04 | Nov 13, 2012, 12:57 PM EST

I agree with Roberts on this one. WWI was a war that was really regarding the dividing of Africa and Asia by the Imperialist European countries. They were really fighting about international hegemony. The English and French were totally uncaring about "freedom." All they cared about were their colonial possessions. I'll stick to the Easter Lily, thank you.

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katiemac | Nov 13, 2012, 12:25 PM EST

What utter rubbish! Whether one honors those who gave their lives for the freedom of Europe, in general, or Ireland, specifically, we should honor their heroic sacrifice. Such honor is not mutually exclusive. It is just a bit beyond the comprehension of 'modern' generations who see little for which they might be willing to die.

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ToryTory | Nov 13, 2012, 12:20 PM EST

It's not a 'British military' symbol you idiot. Christ, all you people do is politicise something that is distinctly non-political.

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ReturnedYank | Nov 13, 2012, 12:04 PM EST

Well said, Patrick. If people don't wear a British military poppy, they shouldn't be forced to. As for me, I still think the good guys were *inside* the GPO shooting out, not the other way around.

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ancavker | Nov 13, 2012, 11:46 AM EST

Thank you Patrick. I feel the same way.

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ToryTory | Nov 13, 2012, 11:04 AM EST

Oh shut up Cillowen you imbecile - you're falling for the same bait that has engendered criticism of Kenny & Co: politicising a non-political act.

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cillowen | Nov 13, 2012, 10:31 AM EST

fools wearing the poppy to honor Britain's forked tongued promise of granting the freedom of the island of ireland to its people - that was a lie as we know. They've tried the same caper time after time but now the quislings strut their stuff for queen and merry o. Tis an upside down shamrock they should be wearing to mourn with instead.

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Nicoletta | Nov 13, 2012, 10:20 AM EST

Wearing a poppy is a way of remembering the fallen. Many Irishmen lost their lives in both WWI and WWII. Enda Kenny insults their memory by his actions and needs to grow up.

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Portia777 | Nov 13, 2012, 10:03 AM EST

On a point of principle I would not want to commemorate it, no more than I would the Vietnam War here which I regard as the closing kick of American paranoia about communism in Southeast Asia Who in their right mind celebrates death of human brothers and sisters? Vietnam war was a Jesuit war- they love killing and feeding of the death and suffering energy- so why celebrate and feed the vile war game/

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ToryTory | Nov 13, 2012, 09:48 AM EST

'Poppy fascism'? What a pillock and, quite frankly, how insulting. Wearing a poppy doesn't connote glorification of war, rather, it's a token of remembrance - there is a different. Certain Irishmen in the public eye - not all, mind - choose not to wear a poppy because of an encrusted, ethnic bigotry towards the British & the British Army. Well, more fool them - bunch of fools. John Snow is a well known Guardianista liberal - he's wetter than a fishes bathing suit; the fact he chooses not to wear a poppy is symptomatic of his extreme liberalism and nothing more - it's completely apart from the reason why some Irishmen choose not to wear it.

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Mousey123 | Nov 13, 2012, 09:47 AM EST

A little problem with the math. The seven million who died (paragraph six) cannot "include" eight million soldiers. There actually are es timated at anywhere from nine to 16 million (depending on whom you're counting). Civilian deaths constitute about seven million due to both military action and faminie and disease.

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