Anzac Day

ANZAC DAY. The day, that we sit back, and solemnly appreciate those young men that invented that awesome, awesome biscuit.

But it’s not just about the cookie. Lots of old dead people died in wars to protect our freedoms. Some of them didn’t die, some were just maimed, and some survived to tell the tale of war.

Until, over time, most of them died too. Which shows that war is like time. Only quicker.

But what IS war good for? Population control for one. Territory for another. A bit of strategic fun for generals. Ego-fiddling for leaders. Weapons testing. Defoliation. All manner of things.

But war comes at a cost. The economies of many nations were damaged severely in both world wars – this was before the US developed incredibly advanced techniques enabling them to profit from active warfare.

And on this day, the 25th of April, each year, we should lament the tragic economic losses from war. As the diggers died on the shores of Gallipoli, a great sadness fell upon the employers of Australia.

They knew their trained workers would not be returning.

The economy and jobs, as stressed by the leaders of today, should always be our prevailing concern. Lest we forget how much the ASX dropped.

Some “humane” individuals choose to neglect to emphasise the economy during remembrance activities. They highlight the human losses, the futility of war, the suffering of families, and the freedoms that were defended.

Australia has protected the freedom of its people in all the wars it has fought. When the Vietcong stormed Canberra, and tried to remove our right to free speech, we went to war for our freedom. When Saddam invaded Brisbane, and removed our right to a fair trial, we went to war for our freedom.

Some say we should mourn and appreciate the loss of those that died protecting these freedoms. Some say we should never allow wars to be fought unless absolutely necessary, only when the intelligence is unquestionable, the situation dire, the threat ominous. That engaging the army in war on a whim is hideously disrespectful to every soul lost in just wars – but we, the eternally remembering public, would never, EVER, allow that to happen.