On History and Remembrance
Today is the centenary of the outbreak of World War One, and the lights are once again going out across Europe. The hype has dominated the news cycles and the public consciousness for weeks now. It has been an opportunity for us to remember the unprecedented horror of war, and to remember what those who fought and died did it for, and how their aims have been achieved and failed. It is an increasingly rare display of respect, dignity and unity between many countries across the world, as we attempt to treat the curiously dual nature of remembrance: The private impact on people's lives and families and the conquests of nations. One man dying in the mud, over and over, and an Empire falling. I'm sure there will be those who disagree, but personally I have not experienced anything in the build-up that has struck me as at all off-key. Indeed, almost everything on the TV, on the radio, has seemed to be thoughtful, and to try to offer real insight into life at the time of the outb...