Every November 11th, and the period before when the poppy sellers are to be seen on the streets and in the supermarkets, I can feel my anger rise up and it will stay bubbling away until a few days later when out of sight, out of mind restores my calmness.

Anger, of course, is a major variant of fear. What is there to be afraid of in remembering the soldiers that gave their lives for God and country. It is not the memory of the suffering soldiers who had no quarrel with their opposing number. If there is any doubt of this, consider what happened on the first Christmas day of World War 1 (WW1). Spontaneous joint celebrations and football matches. This was not allowed to be repeated. Senior officers made sure that artillery was kept active on subsequent Christmas days to avoid the ordinary soldier realising that they were fighting a war that made no sense.

So, what am I afraid of? I don't think with the internet that it will be possible to repeat the meat-mincing effectiveness of WW1, but it is clear from the British government's interventions in Ukraine, that war is still on the agenda. The ordinary people I know do not support our involvement in Ukraine, but the mass media keeps supporting every move our government makes. I am afraid that many more young soldiers will end up dying or wounded fighting in a war that makes no sense. This war is being organised by politicians and those who sit above them for the benefit of the shareholders of the arms companies, while not giving a damn about ordinary peoples' lives. There are many who believe that these lives are being offered as a sacrifice to their god(s).

I am frightened for future generations if we can not change the way the world is controlled.

And Remembrance Day? It has been taken over and is no longer about not forgetting the wasted lives, but about their sacrifice for their country and by extension a chance for more jingoism. Another chance to increase the sound of war drums for a war that is NOT our concern.