Void of war

 I've long loved the work of Paul Nash. His poignant war paintings never fail to move me. My favourite is this one:

Void of war, 1918

I've actually seen this picture in the flesh so to speak. It stopped me dead in my tracks, and I stood looking at it for ages. It's simple, stark and effective. It appears to convey the futility, destruction and total waste and stupidity of war.

He was a wonderful painter. You can read more about him and further examples of his war art here on The Public Domain Review.

War is ignorance

I’ve been a pacifist all of my adult life. How could anyone not be? I will never understand. The taking of someone’s life is morally indefensible. Wars are rich mens’ games. Rich men play, and poor men, women and children die. Rich men invent tribalist and sectarian nonsense to trick poor men into fighting their battles. Patriotism is a con. It’s a fabrication. Patriots are fools. And don’t get me started on the Red Poppy Fascists! When the British Legion campaigns against war I will wear a red poppy. Not until.

War serves no purpose but to make rich men richer

War is ignorance
War is evil
War is hate
War is grotesque
War is pointless
War is stupidity
War is waste

Dead
Bodies
Vile
Vile bodies

No one wins in war

Civilians die in wars
Children die in wars
Pets die in wars
You could die in a war
Private C Read died in a war.

"War is over if you want it"

Wars can only ever end with peace
Peace, peace is the only way forward

Lest we forget

It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. How wrong they were. We forget that.