World War One Centenary.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338728/World-War-One-centenary-Candlelit-vigil-100-years-lamps-went-outbreak-WWI.html

Is it worth the £50million cost to commemorate a war that started 100 years ago?

/// In a major speech in November setting out his ambitions for the centenary, David Cameron revealed two pupils and a teacher from every state secondary school will be given the chance to visit the great battlefields, such as the Somme, Verdun and Fromelles, and take part in remembrance ceremonies on the Western Front. ///

How will the pupils be selected, will it be on a certain achievement basis, showing no attention to ethnicity?

I ask this because in equality photos such as this one, pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots, how can that be fair?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/10/article-2338728-1574CB3D000005DC-981_634x400.jpg

[DJHawkes]

i don;t know which of your questions to answer first and so i will think abit more about the first one first and get back to you.

[ichkeria]

The answer to question one for me is probably
Question 2 I have no idea
I've had a thought about the photo though: maybe there were no Far Eastern pupils available?

[DJHawkes]

the girl in the middle could be from Lowestoft

[jake-the-peg]

You seem quite keen to celebrate a war that started nearly 75 years ago!

Given the obsessive cycle of commemorations of WWII events - I think 100 years since WWI is a genuine anniversary that probably is worth marking in some way.

It was hugely important in so many ways - in many respects it marked the begining of the death of colonialism and the British empire, the begining of modern warefare (at least in Europe) and set the stage for the events of the 20th century.

I guess this is as good a way as any to mark it

[FredPuli43]

Well done, aog, standing up for the representation of our oriental friends. I expect selection will be on a random basis, but by all means write to the authorities insisting that those of "Far Eastern origin" be included.

The remembering of which war would you prefer we spend such educational and cultural money on ? Or do you think that none justifies it? How does it compare with the cost of a state or near state funeral? Or funding of the arts?

[jake-the-peg]

Maybe we could discuss this without another tedious racial angle?

Any chance of that do you think?

[anotheoldgit]

jake-the-peg

/// Maybe we could discuss this without another tedious racial angle? ///

Or the chance to air your anti-British views perhaps?

/// It was hugely important in so many ways - in many respects it marked the begining of the death of colonialism and the British empire, ///

[DJHawkes]

as soon as the answers start regurgitating previous answers in quotes i get mixed up and don't bother reading any more

[Kromovaracun]

That is not an anti-British statement.

[FredPuli43]

aog , do you agree that the Great War marked the beginning of the death of the British Empire? Or of colonialism ? Or of one but not the other, and, if so , which?

What did mark the beginning of the end of those?

[naomi24]

// pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots,//

Do they? Why on earth would anyone think to examine pictures closely enough to reach that conclusion? It wouldn’t occur to me. However, now you’ve said it, the child in the centre of that picture could be of Asian origin, don’t you think?

[FredPuli43]

naomi, some of us are so alive to racial discrimination, so in favour of ensuring that all races are depicted fairly, in good and bad, and so sensitive to that, that we search every newspaper, every article and every picture therein for evidence of any racial bias. Nothing wrong, but all good, in that.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

Yes of Asian decent (Indian sub-continent) maybe, but not Far Eastern (Chinese, Japanese etc).

[FredPuli43]

Any Jews there, aog? I think we should be told!

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

the end of the first world war saw the end of most of the monarchy in Europe, but it was the end of WW2 that saw the end of the British Empire, and British Colonialism, But there were much colonialism taking place in the 19th century by other countries apart from Britain, Germany's for example was divided up after WW1.

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

/// Any Jews there, aog? I think we should be told! ///

You are just being ridiculous now.

Do you not agree that if photo shoots are so composed to show the diverse ethnicity of our country, all who are not distinctly white European, should be equally portrayed?