Commemoration

I'm pretty dubious of the commemorations which have been arranged to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. In Edinburgh this morning we were treated to a drum-head service at the castle followed by a procession down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Park where a "war grave" cemetery had been recreated.

There's no doubting the powerful emotional value of these gravestones and combined with the romantic pull of the sound of the pipes and drums it all adds up to a powerful piece of symbolism. But it's not clear to me that the message is terribly clear. The human cost of war is gently turned into a celebration of of often futile heroism. The failure of politics to resolve conflicts peaceably is given a coat of historical inevitability. Respect for duty is transmuted into uncritical support for 'our boys' to create useful distance between us and the killing done in our name.

Walking back up the Royal Mile past a variety of bands from around the world marching down I decided that perhaps it's best to love the pipes and hate the wars.