I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.
I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.
I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.
I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.
On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practiced on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realise.
Siegfried Sassoon
July 1917
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
An excellent document to have brought up.
I suspect that your intent in posting Sassoon without adding any commentary is to allow your readers to conclude A Soldier’s Declaration’s contemporary relevance. I would most definitely say Sassoon’s words would be fitting when it comes to the on-going quagmire in Iraq. Almost one hundred years later and it appears to be politics as usual illustrated most poignantly in this line, “because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.” Exactly. America’s rich has more to gain by staying in Iraq instead of coming home, it is not as if it they are losing family members anyway, they only have something to gain, more money.
Even though the rich leaders with direct power are mostly to blame, focusing on them alone is not an adequate depiction in a supposedly democratic society. The truth is, the rest of America, particularly the middle class who could band together and demand change is turning a blind eye on Iraq even after an avalanche of empirical data has exposed the lies and false intentions of our leaders. Sure, there are bleeps and pockets of protest here and there but overall it is business as usual. See: Paris Hilton. This sentiment is covered expressively by Sassoon, “also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realise.” What else can explain people not protesting and demanding withdrawal but a “callous complacence” and/or an insufficient imagination to realize the true horrors unfolding daily?
Thanks to you both. The more I read "Finished with War" the more I thought I had to post it up, Its so well written.
I like your comment Kitty, which includes a mention of the vacuous and emptily hedonistic Paris Hilton with too much sympathy for my likes!)
When will it end? .... Never, sadly
Post a Comment