Tuesday, December 25, 2007

The Christmas Truce of 1914

One of the most remarkable and moving stories in the long, sad history of warfare is that of the Christmas Truce of 1914, which was a spontaneous expression of peace and good will between British and German soldiers in the trenches. Laying down their arms, they came together in no man's land to exchange gifts, sing Christmas carols, and even to play soccer.

British and German troops standing together on Christmas Day, 1914.

After looking into each others eyes, and seeing that they had far more in common with each other than with the bloodthirsty politicians and generals who had sent them to war, they had to be threatened with court martial by the powers that be to make them go back to the grim, insane business of killing each other - for what?

Here is the snopes urban legends page on this incredible story (which Snopes properly lists as "true" because it did indeed happen). And here is another account:


And here is an especially moving video and song dedicated to the men of the Christmas Truce, where the artist who wrote the song recounts how very, very old German veterans of the Christmas Truce came to hear him play and sing the song in Belgium. It is a real tear jerker.

A Carol from Flanders
by Frederick Niven (1878-1944)

In Flanders on the Christmas morn
The trenched foemen lay,
the German and the Briton born,
And it was Christmas Day.

The red sun rose on fields accurst,
The gray fog fled away;
But neither cared to fire the first,
For it was Christmas Day!

They called from each to each across
The hideous disarray,
For terrible has been their loss:
"Oh, this is Christmas Day!"

Their rifles all they set aside,
One impulse to obey;
'Twas just the men on either side,
Just men — and Christmas Day.

They dug the graves for all their dead
And over them did pray:
And Englishmen and Germans said:
"How strange a Christmas Day!"

Between the trenches then they met,
Shook hands, and e'en did play
At games on which their hearts were set
On happy Christmas Day.

Not all the emperors and kings,
Financiers and they
Who rule us could prevent these things —
For it was Christmas Day.

Oh ye who read this truthful rime
From Flanders, kneel and say:
God speed the time when every day
Shall be as Christmas Day.

No truer statement has been made than that of World War I Marine Major General Smedley Butler , one of the most highly decorated Marines in history (he won two Medals of Honor!) when he declared that "war is a racket."

He was speaking from his experience in World War I, but his warning stands the test of time. As Major General Butler asked, who makes the profits? Who pays the bills? You know the answer. - Stewart

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas!



The Prince of Peace.



It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet seen of old,
When with the ever-encircling years
Shall come the time foretold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.



Stewart Rhodes and family.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Great article-How Real Is Ron Paul's Revolution?

Great article in a Philly paper

Joe Murray: The Right Time
How Real Is Ron Paul's Revolution?

How Real Is Ron Paul's Revolution?





Read the full story here