Sorry, bit behind on the news, but it appears a member of Labour's front bench has

[World's End Stella]

Utter bøllocks. They sat back while the entire of western democracy was almost wiped out in 1940, and would have been a lot less secure with a Jap Asia, sorry RCPS. They only had to do something cos the Japs, moronically, thought they'd help us from Peral Harbour once they got on the march and they only fought in Europe cos Hitler declared war on them.

Yer average Gurkha, Sikh or Baluchi/Pathan has far more to be proud of than yer average Septic. Fact.

Which part of 'personal level' did you not understand? You think someone from Des Moines, Iowa who volunteered on Dec 8, 1941 and ended up fighting in Bastogne was party to or gave a toss about the politics or economics associated with when and how the Americans entered the war?

The 'greatest generation' refers to the sacrifice of the average American soldier, which was exceptional and without which the war would never have been won.

[Burney]

Which part of 'personal level' did you not understand? You think someone from Des Moines, Iowa who volunteered on Dec 8, 1941 and ended up fighting in Bastogne was party to or gave a toss about the politics or economics associated with when and how the Americans entered the war?

The 'greatest generation' refers to the sacrifice of the average American soldier, which was exceptional and without which the war would never have been won.

The sacrifice of the average American soldier may have been many things, WES, but exceptional it was not. Indeed, it's exactly that sort of self-aggrandising and frankly ignorant horseshît that Americans talk about WWII that gets everyone else's backs up.

In a war that killed around 25 million soldiers and more than 85 million people worldwide to describe America's sacrifice of fewer than half a million men as 'exceptional' displays a breathtaking degree of crassness.

[World's End Stella]

The sacrifice of the average American soldier may have been many things, WES, but exceptional it was not. Indeed, it's exactly that sort of self-aggrandising and frankly ignorant horseshît that Americans talk about WWII that gets everyone else's backs up.

In a war that killed around 25 million soldiers and more than 85 million people worldwide to describe America's sacrifice of fewer than half a million men as 'exceptional' displays a breathtaking degree of crassness.

It was exceptional in that 16 million Americans served in a war which was fought thousands of miles from their shores and which didn't in any way threaten their homeland. More American soldiers died than British soldiers, now imagine that it was the American homeland that was attacked and Britain then joined in and suffered more causalities than the Americans did.

Are you honestly telling me that that wouldn't have been worth recognizing?

[Burney]

It was exceptional in that 16 million Americans served in a war which was fought thousands of miles from their shores and which didn't in any way threaten their homeland. More American soldiers died than British soldiers, now imagine that it was the American homeland that was attacked and Britain then joined in and suffered more causalities than the Americans did.

Are you honestly telling me that that wouldn't have been worth recognizing?

Don't give me all that shït. First of all, nearly half of America's dead were in the Pacific theatre - a war that was fought by America purely to defend its own immediate economic and strategic interests following an attack by Japan on American soil. Second, the US fought Germany not because Britain was attacked (that happened two years earlier), but because a/ Germany declared war on the USA and b/ because it was in the US's strategic interest to combat the threat of Germany as far away from its homeland as it possibly could.

All this guff about innocent farm boys travelling thousands of miles to defend freedom is so much böllocks, I'm afraid. Most GIs were drafted (the draft had been in place since 1940) and if they were that starry-eyed and idealistic about fighting fascism they'd had two years when they could have joined British and Canadian forces in order to do so (as a number of Americans did). Like all soldiers, they were there because they were there.

[redgunamo]

Don't give me all that shït. First of all, nearly half of America's dead were in the Pacific theatre - a war that was fought by America purely to defend its own immediate economic and strategic interests following an attack by Japan on American soil. Second, the US fought Germany not because Britain was attacked (that happened two years earlier), but because a/ Germany declared war on the USA and b/ because it was in the US's strategic interest to combat the threat of Germany as far away from its homeland as it possibly could.

All this guff about innocent farm boys travelling thousands of miles to defend freedom is so much böllocks, I'm afraid. Most GIs were drafted (the draft had been in place since 1940) and if they were that starry-eyed and idealistic about fighting fascism they'd had two years when they could have joined British and Canadian forces in order to do so (as a number of Americans did). Like all soldiers, they were there because they were there.

And because of the hounds obviously. Well said.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Don't give me all that shït. First of all, nearly half of America's dead were in the Pacific theatre - a war that was fought by America purely to defend its own immediate economic and strategic interests following an attack by Japan on American soil. Second, the US fought Germany not because Britain was attacked (that happened two years earlier), but because a/ Germany declared war on the USA and b/ because it was in the US's strategic interest to combat the threat of Germany as far away from its homeland as it possibly could.

All this guff about innocent farm boys travelling thousands of miles to defend freedom is so much böllocks, I'm afraid. Most GIs were drafted (the draft had been in place since 1940) and if they were that starry-eyed and idealistic about fighting fascism they'd had two years when they could have joined British and Canadian forces in order to do so (as a number of Americans did). Like all soldiers, they were there because they were there.

Bingo. Spot on.

{As aside, the one yank on my class of six is over studying WW1 cos his "great granpappy" (I think) joined up with the Canadians in 1914. Gassed, apparently. 1917, I think he said. Poor chap. Y'see? Some Septics are good. Just not most of 'em.}

[World's End Stella]

Don't give me all that shït. First of all, nearly half of America's dead were in the Pacific theatre - a war that was fought by America purely to defend its own immediate economic and strategic interests following an attack by Japan on American soil. Second, the US fought Germany not because Britain was attacked (that happened two years earlier), but because a/ Germany declared war on the USA and b/ because it was in the US's strategic interest to combat the threat of Germany as far away from its homeland as it possibly could.

All this guff about innocent farm boys travelling thousands of miles to defend freedom is so much böllocks, I'm afraid. Most GIs were drafted (the draft had been in place since 1940) and if they were that starry-eyed and idealistic about fighting fascism they'd had two years when they could have joined British and Canadian forces in order to do so (as a number of Americans did). Like all soldiers, they were there because they were there.

I recall with fondness my father telling me how quickly the publican in 1969 extended his hand across the bar and thanked him for our country's contribution to the war effort in World War 2 when he discovered that my father was not only Canadian but a member of the Canadian military. The emotion felt very genuine and my father, despite not having served in the war, was genuinely touched.

I'd like to think that his view was representative of the public generally in the UK, as opposed to you and Ganpati who would have refused to offer your hand at all and would have said something like 'yeah but you only helped out because your country told you to and you did pretty well out of the war anyway'.

[Burney]

I recall with fondness my father telling me how quickly the publican in 1969 extended his hand across the bar and thanked him for our country's contribution to the war effort in World War 2 when he discovered that my father was not only Canadian but a member of the Canadian military. The emotion felt very genuine and my father, despite not having served in the war, was genuinely touched.

I'd like to think that his view was representative of the public generally in the UK, as opposed to you and Ganpati who would have refused to offer your hand at all and would have said something like 'yeah but you only helped out because your country told you to and you did pretty well out of the war anyway'.

What has this to do with Canada? As far as I'm aware, Canada and the USA are two very different countries. Canada stood shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom in both wars from day one and asked nothing in return. This discussion is nothing to do with Canada's role in either war.

And I've already said that on a personal level I'm grateful to all those who fought against the Axis. However, I do not find anything exceptional about the role of American soldiers and find the grandstanding from modern-day Americans about their role in the war to be boastful, ignorant and irksome.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I recall with fondness my father telling me how quickly the publican in 1969 extended his hand across the bar and thanked him for our country's contribution to the war effort in World War 2 when he discovered that my father was not only Canadian but a member of the Canadian military. The emotion felt very genuine and my father, despite not having served in the war, was genuinely touched.

I'd like to think that his view was representative of the public generally in the UK, as opposed to you and Ganpati who would have refused to offer your hand at all and would have said something like 'yeah but you only helped out because your country told you to and you did pretty well out of the war anyway'.

Where have I ever criticised the Canadians, mate?

I've just written 4k words on what they did in the Hundred Days 1918, where they were our stormtroops and consequently the best troops on the planet, and I said the yank in our class is here cos his granddad joined the Canadians in 1914 and was gassed in 1917.

We (B and I and others) were taking issue that the fact that Brad from Bumfück, Alabama was drafted doesn't make him any better than Mr Brit, or M. Frog or Ruskie or Canadian or Convict or Sikh/Gurkha/Pathan.

But silly me, the Septics are better than all those races so they iz special and the above izn't.

[Burney]

Where have I ever criticised the Canadians, mate?

I've just written 4k words on what they did in the Hundred Days 1918, where they were our stormtroops and consequently the best troops on the planet, and I said the yank in our class is here cos his granddad joined the Canadians in 1914 and was gassed in 1917.

We (B and I and others) were taking issue that the fact that Brad from Bumfück, Alabama was drafted doesn't make him any better than Mr Brit, or M. Frog or Ruskie or Canadian or Convict or Sikh/Gurkha/Pathan.

But silly me, the Septics are better than all those races so they iz special and the above izn't.

Consistently the best troops in the British Army throughout the First World War. Unfortunately for them, this meant they were usually used to spearhead any attack.