I was born in 1960; WW2 always seemed a world away in time & effect. It now amazes me to think it was ended only 15 years before that, & it is strange how little my family really talked about it, despite my Dad & all my Uncles going to war & returning. I guess our area of Yorkshire got off relatively lightly. I think that experience & the fact that we 'won' has a significant effect on attitudes today.
As regards the Boer War, Crimean War or the Battle of Waterloo - I would struggle to even say which century the latter 2 were in.

As in your case, my dad and uncles were also involved in the fighting during WW2 and two of those uncles never returned. However, in spite of that my dad never used any of jingoistic language that has become so common over the last 3 years. Consequently, I feel that the 'significant effect' you refer to hasn't been handed down by the veterans but rather resurrected by people who have never experienced the horrors of war.

Undoubtedly. Those I have come across who talk about the war were not involved or didn't experience the real horrors of war. It's probably been the same 1066, with a sector of society suggesting our superiority over those we have fought or conquered.

rl[iYou are probably the best argument against a comprehensive education system that I have come across.[/irl

But seriously, really? You couldn't name the century?

Hint: they were all within a 100 years of one another and almost within the same century (and there were 2 Boer Wars).

Even with my casual interest in history I could probably name and roughly date the majority of significant conflicts across the globe going back to the Punic Wars. That's not me being a smartarse, I assumed most reasonably intelligent adults above a certain age could do the same to one degree or another.

You sound like one of those whining remainers who bang on about how "leavers just think they can go back to the days of the Empire". A large heavy fish to the face is the only solution when confronted with that level of debate.

Although through the 70s/80s, I was also brought up on war comics and films, and loved dressing up as a soldier with my replica gun running round shooting Krauts and Nips. Bear in mind boys have played soldiers throughout human history...until the last few years (toy guns**Yes I am fully aware other countries suffered and some suffered far, far more - but before a wave of whataboutery hits me, we are discussing the UK here**[/i In my view we have every right to tell stories about what were after all the two biggest and most significant events in human history, in which we were major players and endured some horrific times before emerging victorious. Call it bragging rights, whatever. Just don't try and be too pompous and angle it as propaganda.

For anybody who wants to brush up on our history of violence: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_wars And, in good QI style, an article on the end signing of the peace treaty to end the Third Punic War... in 1985. https://apnews.com/9b6f6f5ba5be2408ff0502c7fb8abd5b

For anybody who wants to brush up on our history of violence: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_wars And, in good QI style, an article on the end signing of the peace treaty to end the Third Punic War... in 1985. https://apnews.com/9b6f6f5ba5be2408ff0502c7fb8abd5b

Cant argue with any of that but, there are plenty that still dont understand the class structure and pretend that it is a thing of the past.
Occasionally we are thrown a few scraps just to keep up the pretence that we are all equal.

Life is not fair it is not meant to be fair - there will always be more intelligent humans, humans with greater sporting prowess, humans with superior physical capabilities. We are not all equal - its the biggest flaw in Socialist/Marxist/Communist theory.

There is no socialist theory that suggests that everyone is equal; or that life is, or should be, 'fair.' You're just talking nonsense.

The mantra is "From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution," which is actually the opposite of what you're suggesting.

Depends on your interpretation of Socialism.

Socialist mantra is about we all share in the wealth created. Sadly that doesn't work because those that generate the wealth struggle to see why they should be equally rewarded as those that contribute less. Simple theory against reality and as soon as you add the human it doesn't work and their is no example of an out and out Socialist state that has seen its country prosper.

You've literally ignored what I provided - and doubled down with a liberal sprinkling of ill-informed nonsense, that has no basis in the democratic socialist model that is being proposed by the Labour party.

For the final time - whatever you think an 'out and out Socialist state' actually is - that isn't what's being talked about.

You seem to have loads of free time to post on here, I assume in comfort breaks between running your massive business empire? Maybe use some of it to read something about at least some of the things you spend time talking about?

More likely to be in his mums spare bedroom with a crusty sock staring at posters of his heroic captains of industry, Branson, Dyson and Simon Cowell.

What is being talked about here - perhaps listen to McDonald's interview with Dale - by his own admission he wants to bring as much as possible into public ownership. On the NHS - we are going to manufacture our own drugs and not buy them from anyone - so how are we going to develop new drugs? Where are we going to buy clinical equipment - according to McDonald everything relating to the NHS will be sourced from public companies. The private element of the NHS is 7% its was 6% under the last Labour government he say it will all go even if it cost more to source from all this public companies - its bonkers!!


The NHS is a huge opportunity for the Tories to dismantle the Labour policy - Ashworth is one of the weakest MPs out there.

"We have already shown that the workers, although they produce all the wealth of society, have no control over its production or distribution: the people, who are the only really organic part of society, are treated as a mere appendage to capital - as a part of its machinery. This must be altered from the foundation: the land, the capital, the machinery, factories, workshops, stores, means of transit, mines, banking, all means of production and distribution of wealth, must be declared and treated as the common property of all." William Morris

Morris is one of McDonald's regularly quotes influences