James McClean

[michaelg]

The poppy appeal is used to raise funds for military personnel who fall on hard times .  Simply parliament voted to send the BA to war , parliament voted monies to pay for said war , parliament should them make sure soldiers are provided for on leaving army.

I used to help out in a homeless shelter in London and a good chunk of the alcoholics were ex service with serious mental health issues who die 10 years before people in offices do.  The hypocrisy of the 11 Nov always sickened me. They don't take care of their soldiers. In 2003 they sent squaddies off to Iraq for what ?

Buying poppies is easy. Changing structural abuse is very hard.

Oil.

I remember a few years ago when people were angry at Blair when lots of soldiers coffins where brought home. Sent to die in a needless war etc. And yet they still enlist.

As do a good number from the ROI.

[yellowcard]

First Brexit which was won primarily on immigration and racism issues and now England are supposedly ready to defy FIFA by wearing poppies. What an incredibly insular inward looking society middle England is proving to be. In the eyes of the world the message is 'we are England, we do what we want'. Today's Daily Mail front page was an absolute disgrace and totally irresponsible journalism, not that you'd expect any different.

[BennyCake]

FIFA will bow down to them though.

Players will just want to play football. Do you think they give a toss about this bollix?

[yellowcard]

FIFA will bow down to them though.

Players will just want to play football. Do you think they give a toss about this bollix?

Not at all (a lot of English footballers are as thick as two planks anyway) but it has been used as a political football yet the English FA are ignoring the directive. Based on Theresa Mays comments earlier today, there has undoubtedly been political interference at play. English society is forever changed since Brexit, god forbid if Trump also gets into the whitehouse as looks increasingly likely.

[Rossfan]

The poppy appeal is used to raise funds for military personnel who fall on hard times .  Simply parliament voted to send the BA to war , parliament voted monies to pay for said war , parliament should them make sure soldiers are provided for on leaving army.

I used to help out in a homeless shelter in London and a good chunk of the alcoholics were ex service with serious mental health issues who die 10 years before people in offices do.  The hypocrisy of the 11 Nov always sickened me. They don't take care of their soldiers. In 2003 they sent squaddies off to Iraq for what ?

Buying poppies is easy. Changing structural abuse is very hard.

Oil.

I remember a few years ago when people were angry at Blair when lots of soldiers coffins where brought home. Sent to die in a needless war etc. And yet they still enlist.

As do a good number from the ROI.

Fuckin stupid eejits.
What kind of mentality makes people want to join another Country's armed forces?
Especially a war mongering country whose Government are forever looking to be wrecking someone else's Country.

[macdanger2]

First Brexit which was won primarily on immigration and racism issues and now England are supposedly ready to defy FIFA by wearing poppies. What an incredibly insular inward looking society middle England is proving to be. In the eyes of the world the message is 'we are England, we do what we want'. Today's Daily Mail front page was an absolute disgrace and totally irresponsible journalism, not that you'd expect any different.

What was the headline?

[muppet]

The poppy appeal is used to raise funds for military personnel who fall on hard times .  Simply parliament voted to send the BA to war , parliament voted monies to pay for said war , parliament should them make sure soldiers are provided for on leaving army.

I used to help out in a homeless shelter in London and a good chunk of the alcoholics were ex service with serious mental health issues who die 10 years before people in offices do.  The hypocrisy of the 11 Nov always sickened me. They don't take care of their soldiers. In 2003 they sent squaddies off to Iraq for what ?

Buying poppies is easy. Changing structural abuse is very hard.

Oil.

I remember a few years ago when people were angry at Blair when lots of soldiers coffins where brought home. Sent to die in a needless war etc. And yet they still enlist.

As do a good number from the ROI.

Fuckin stupid eejits.
What kind of mentality makes people want to join another Country's armed forces?
Especially a war mongering country whose Government are forever looking to be wrecking someone else's Country.

Any country with emigrants has people who 'join another Country's armed forces'.

[Rossfan]

Ehhhhh Muppet?

[muppet]

Ehhhhh Muppet?

I should have said immigrants.

[Rossfan]

Ahh right.
But it's one thing if you live in a Country for some time to join their armed forces but fcukn fruitcakes living in the,26 who decide to join the Brit murder machine.......... mind boggling idiocy..... especially given the 800 years etc

[haranguerer]

Christ - you must actually believe the queen and country shite - I would estimate approximately 0% join armed forces anywhere (when not at war at least) to 'serve their country'. Its a job and an escape for many with little prospects, marketed to portray a touch of glamour.

[seafoid]

Christ - you must actually believe the queen and country shite - I would estimate approximately 0% join armed forces anywhere (when not at war at least) to 'serve their country'. Its a job and an escape for many with little prospects, marketed to portray a touch of glamour.

Military means blind loyalty , nationalism and violence. US soldiers worship a flag. Brit soldiers worship a Queen. Israeli soldiers worship the idea that they are the most moral soldiers in the world.
They all emphasise service for country, meaningful sacrifice  and we will never forget the dead. FB is full of pictures of dead Vietnam soldiers accompanied by text saying please remember him. Underneath Yanks write "thank you for your service" . It is bizarre when you come from a country with no cult of the military except perhaps for the Sunday Independent.

Things like 11 Nov feed the machine with new recruits. All the pomp, the royals, the thin elite women, the glamour.  They are also big into uniforms.  A uniform can change a nobody into a somebody. Plámás.

I never saw any comedians take the piss out of the military.  It must be too sensitive. 

[dferg]

Christ - you must actually believe the queen and country shite - I would estimate approximately 0% join armed forces anywhere (when not at war at least) to 'serve their country'. Its a job and an escape for many with little prospects, marketed to portray a touch of glamour.

Military means blind loyalty , nationalism and violence. US soldiers worship a flag. Brit soldiers worship a Queen. Israeli soldiers worship the idea that they are the most moral soldiers in the world.
They all emphasise service for country, meaningful sacrifice  and we will never forget the dead. FB is full of pictures of dead Vietnam soldiers accompanied by text saying please remember him. Underneath Yanks write "thank you for your service" . It is bizarre when you come from a country with no cult of the military except perhaps for the Sunday Independent.

Things like 11 Nov feed the machine with new recruits. All the pomp, the royals, the thin elite women, the glamour.  They are also big into uniforms.  A uniform can change a nobody into a somebody. Plámás.

I never saw any comedians take the piss out of the military.  It must be too sensitive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbAkTFGDr84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMc8AFK78XM

[Applesisapples]

I admire James McClean for his stance given where he is from and the whole history of Bloody Sunday. I also understand why the poppy is so popular in Scotland and England where it is genuinely sold and worn in solidarity with a military that is often abandoned by the very government it serves, same happens in the US and Rock Stars such as Springsteen, Mellencamp and Young whilst being anti war do benefits for veterans. In the wee 6 though it has always been used as a means of reminding the croppies of their place. I'm not surprised the IFA are looking to wear one it shows just how committed they are to football for all and fits in with the anthem and fleg. Ulster Rugby mindful of their fan base got the balance right and fair play to them.

[Hectic]

Its as if the Poppy on the shirt is the act of remembrance and if it is not worn then those who gave their lives are somehow forgotten.  For me the Poppy fascism of the last decade plus is the single biggest insult/contradiction to the idea of remembering those who 'gave their lives for everyone's freedom'.