Beware of politicians calling for patriotism

THE extensive correspondence on war and remembrance in your letters columns shows the subject is still controversial. It is amazing that huge numbers of ordinary people can be incited to sacrifice their lives in causes inaccurately labelled ‘patriotic’.

Surely, calls to patriotism can only be justifiably made when the survival of one’s country is directly at risk. Many wars have been fought and literally millions killed in situations where territorial and economic gain, together with military prestige, were the actual motivating forces.

The gains, if any, were likely to accrue to those who kept their persons far removed from the field of battle while those who fought and died, or were severely wounded, received nothing more than a small piece of metal attached to a scrap of ribbon.