Stunning photos of London's new WWI memorial

[Jacob]

Then you'd love Magna Carta - 'Commemorating 800 Years of Democracy'

http://magnacarta800th.com/

 

[Martinus]

I'm fine with either celebrating some completely cartoonish, cheery version of "ancient" history

Then you'd love Magna Carta - 'Commemorating 800 Years of Democracy'

http://magnacarta800th.com/

[Martinus]

"Arguably, history's most important document" 

[Warspite]

I'm not sure I understand the objections to the art installation. It does a pretty good job of conveying the scale of the loss. I tell you 800,000 soldiers died. How do you even grasp what 800,000 people really means? It's several scales of magnitude larger than the total number of people with whom you will have a meaningful interaction with in your entire life. So I would think a generation born in a time of European peace need reminding from time to time that the continent wasn't always such a boring, post-modern paradise.

As for the Remembrance Day ritual itself, it still serves a real purpose. There are a lot of dead soldiers from the twenty years of operations, drawn from across society. There are also a lot of mentally and physically injured soldiers. If you look at the servicemen and women lining up along Whitehall each Armistice Day, the remembrance is very real.

[Admiral Yi]

http://photos.al.com/alphotos/2014/11/veterans_day_parade_2014_18.html

I is interweb famous!

Well,  maybe not.

Is that you with your mouth open? 

[lustindarkness]

http://photos.al.com/alphotos/2014/11/veterans_day_parade_2014_18.html

I is interweb famous!

Well,  maybe not.

Is that you with your mouth open? 

Uh, no, guess again. Cant really see much of my face. Left side of pic, mucho gold on sleeve.

[Jacob]

I'm not sure I understand the objections to the art installation.

It's Marty making a scene. That's all.

[Admiral Yi]

Uh, no, guess again. Cant really see much of my face. Left side of pic, mucho gold on sleeve.

Roger that.

[Ed Anger]

[Martinus]

 

[Monoriu]

In Hong Kong, we have both eastern and western versions of 11 Nov.  I see a lot of westerners wearing red poppy flowers.  But 11 Nov is also the "singles" day in China, as 11 Nov is written as four single vertical strokes.  It is considered a "day of remembrance" for those who cannot find a life partner.  For some reason the day is now considered a major festival for shopping and offering retail discounts.   

[Warspite]

In Hong Kong, we have both eastern and western versions of 11 Nov.  I see a lot of westerners wearing red poppy flowers.  But 11 Nov is also the "singles" day in China, as 11 Nov is written as four single vertical strokes.  It is considered a "day of remembrance" for those who cannot find a life partner.  For some reason the day is now considered a major festival for shopping and offering retail discounts.

Why not combine the two?

"They died so that you could save!"

[Monoriu]

In Hong Kong, we have both eastern and western versions of 11 Nov.  I see a lot of westerners wearing red poppy flowers.  But 11 Nov is also the "singles" day in China, as 11 Nov is written as four single vertical strokes.  It is considered a "day of remembrance" for those who cannot find a life partner.  For some reason the day is now considered a major festival for shopping and offering retail discounts.

Why not combine the two?

"They died so that you could save!"

Joking aside, it is a very youthful and fun festival in China.  It was started by some university students as a way to self-mock, I think.  Most aren't aware of the western or historical meaning of the day. 

[Brazen]

Sainsbury's Christmas advert made in partnership with the British Legion. Conflicted. Very touching and not in-your-face commercial, but I'm not entirely sure the bloodiest conflict in human history should be used to sell anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

[Martinus]

Sainsbury's Christmas advert made in partnership with the British Legion. Conflicted. Very touching and not in-your-face commercial, but I'm not entirely sure the bloodiest conflict in human history should be used to sell anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

Errr, WW1 is not the bloodiest conflict in human history. It is not even the second bloodiest conflict in human history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_by_death_toll