These Colours Don't Run

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

In case you can't be bothered to look for it, here are a couple of ideas:

-Your loved ones
-Your rights
-Your freedoms
-Your own beliefs

Well we sure as hell aren't playing Capture the Flag!

What do you think the flag represents man!
Your home! Your loved ones! Your ideals! Freedom!

"Better unemployed than dead,"

How's that for patriotism and glorious reasons to join up, eh?

I get that . .

The armed forces can be a very good profession, even here in India the perks a decent ranking army guy gets are awesome!

But this song isn't about that . .
We're talking about when you have to go out to fight!

If everyone saw through the political propaganda, there would be no political wars . . ever!
But they're happening today! In our world . .

Not my dream-world mate, but the real one . .

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

We're talking about when you have to go out to fight!

Then the flag is really the last thing on your mind, believe me!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

What is he thinking?

^ That ^ isn't rhetoric!

I am curious to know what you think man!
When you say the flag (and all it represents) is the last thing on his mind . . I am sincerely interested in knowing what you believe is in his mind!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Survival.

 

[Raven]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

I am curious to know what you think man!
When you say the flag (and all it represents) is the last thing on his mind . . I am sincerely interested in knowing what you believe is in his mind!

Getting through the battle without dying, perhaps?  Considering that the majority of battles in today's wars are guerilla warfare, I doubt the average Jonnhy on patrol has much time to think of anything when the bullets start flying.  And his national flag will probably be the last thing on his mind.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

GAH!!!

When a person between the age of say 18-25 signs up for the armed forces of his nation . . And his nation is involved in some manner of active warfare at the time . .

What is he thinking?



Not before his first battle . .
Not when he's killing someone . .  
Not when he's staring over a blood stained battlefield . .
Not when he's coming back home . .  Not when he's scarred and alone and scared for life!

No one's gonna join the army thinking about "survival"!!

 

[Albie]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

No one's gonna join the army thinking about "survival"!!

No, but during combat they do.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Look, Jacen, why don't you join up and get yourself into a combat situation. That'd be nice of you to come back and tell us what you thought when the shelling and firing started... if you live to tell the tale, that is!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

What do you think the flag represents man!
Your home! Your loved ones! Your ideals! Freedom!

Alright, I'll tell you what this represents to me:

To me, that is a piece of cloth in three different colours waving in the wind. Maybe it's nylon, I don't know. It does not represent my home. It can't, because I do not feel I have a home.
It does not represent my loved ones. My loved ones are people around me, and what represents them to me if they are not there are memories, images, thoughts.
It does not represent my ideals. Quite frankly, my ideals are very different from that of any average person who has a symbol of that country in his passport.
Maybe it does represent freedom to some, but not to me. To me, freedom does not need to be represented but acted.

In other words, this flag does not represent anything to me. And images like these...

...do not trigger any feelings in me.

 

[Cosmiceddie]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Let's face it, being a soldier is kind of a profession, a way of earning money to live as is every other profession.Thus I claim that if you choose what you want to do for a living, either you do it because of the money or the fun of it.Very few people are lucky do choose a job that includes both fun and money.

And now to the question, what do you think are the motives in being a soldier.A)because of the money or because of the fun to kill other people(that's what a soldier is all about in my book if it gets down to business, isn't it?)If you choose the former, I may get you, if it's for the latter, you better see your mental specialist.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

No, but during combat they do.

Agreed 100%
If during combat a soldier thinks of ANYTHING but survival he's dead meat . . No argument there!

Look, Jacen, why don't you join up and get yourself into a combat situation. That'd be nice of you to come back and tell us what you thought when the shelling and firing started... if you live to tell the tale, that is!

. . .
Okay, lemme try and simplify this as much as possible.

Premise 1:
You belong to a nation that is currently involved in active warfare outside of its national borders.

Premise 2:
You belong to the age group of 18-25.

Premise 3:
You sign up for the armed forces.

Now, as you do the task that is premise 3, what are you thinking about . .​

*crosses fingers*

In other words, this flag does not represent anything to me.

Thats perfectly acceptable . .
Nothing wrong with it, I mean I'm NOT in the armed forces because of the same reason ..

My flag doesn't make me teary when i look at it, its a peice of cloth with colors n' patterns on it . . All flags are just that to me . .

And yet unlike you and me, there are people who sign up for active combat and many of them do die . . every single day. So I gotta imagine thats what Maiden wrote this song about . .

I mean you gotta admit, in general (although not on this board) a flag is seen as a symbol of patriotism and pride . .

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

A)because of the money or because of the fun to kill other people(that's what a soldier is all about in my book if it gets down to business, isn't it?)

Finally a straight answer!
^_^

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Premise 1:
You belong to a nation that is currently involved in active warfare outside of its national borders.

Premise 2:
You belong to the age group of 18-25.

Premise 3:
You sign up for the armed forces.
​

If you arrive at premise 3, you need some serious psychological help -- in my book at least!

If I lived in a country at war somewhere on the planet and if I was in the right age to join up, I still wouldn't. I'd leave it to those who are stupid/crazy enough to do it. Being cannon fodder really isn't my idea of fun.

Now, if my home was directly threatened... well, I'd do my best to protect my loved ones, as any decent man would do.​

 

[Raven]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

If you arrive at premise 3, you need some serious psychological help -- in my book at least!

If I lived in a country at war somewhere on the planet and if I was in the right age to join up, I still wouldn't. I'd leave it to those who are stupid/crazy enough to do it. Being cannon fodder really isn't my idea of fun.

Now, if my home was directly threatened... well, I'd do my best to protect my loved ones, as any decent man would do.

It depends what your financial situation is.  Many join up (or have enlisted) during wartime because it's employment, plain and simple.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

I mean you gotta admit, in general (although not on this board) a flag is seen as a symbol of patriotism and pride . .

Of course I admit that. But I think it is an antiquated and anachronistic point of view, the point of view that refuses to learn the lessons of the past:

And so on...

 

[Cosmiceddie]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

It depends what your financial situation is.  Many join up (or have enlisted) during wartime because it's employment, plain and simple.

Exactly, they think they'd better be a soldier than being unemployed.I can understand this, but I wonder if people like that are aware of their decision once it gets down to business, once they receive the movement order to join the real thing?

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

"Better unemployed than dead," he told me when I met him in 1990.

I did hear these words, you know...

 

[Albie]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Premise 1:
You belong to a nation that is currently involved in active warfare outside of its national borders.

Premise 2:
You belong to the age group of 18-25.

Premise 3:
You sign up for the armed forces.

Now, as you do the task that is premise 3, what are you thinking about . .​

OK, I've never been in the armed forces and never will so I can't get into what the person is thinking, but given the above situation will we see people flock to sign up?

If they do, is it because the are wanting to fight for their flag or because they feel the war their nation is involved in needs to be fought - it could be a war against fascism or whatever? If it the latter, the chances are you could be involved in some sort of peace keeping role. Either way, you won't see the queues fill up to enlist.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

Okay, we're finally making some headway here!

Mav, you think anyone enlisting in the army at a time of crisis is a nutter, while Raven feels that financial strain can also prompt someone to do so . .

Cool, Thanx . .
Now was that so hard!!

Of course I admit that. But I think it is an antiquated and anachronistic point of view, the point of view that refuses to learn the lessons of the past

I agree, but lots of people still feel that way ..
People are still dying because of it man ..

 

[Anonymous]

Re: 'These Colours Don't Run'

I agree, but lots of people still feel that way ..
People are still dying because of it man ..

And that's the problem. Always has been, always will be. No, we don't learn from history, unless we learn to hate a particular group for what their ancestors have done in the past. A good example is my own mum who hates the English "because they burned Joan Of Arc" (which they didn't, but the poor soul's not aware of it and won't listen when you try to correct her).  * sigh *