Lest we forget...
 

In the run-up to Remembrance Day, war veterans' charity Erskine conducted a study of 2,000 children from all over the UK (aged nine to 15) which tested them on their knowledge of facts of both world wars.

The results, depending on your point of view, provide terrifying/hysterical reading.

A few of my personal favorite Q and A's


What was the holocaust? -
A Computer game recreating the war. - 10% Northern Ireland

Where was The Battle of Britain fought? -
Under the sea - 10.5% Wales.
In space - 6.6% Northern Ireland.

Who was assassinated which led to the outbreak of World War One? -
john Lennon - 41.5% London.

For what is Auschwitz renowned? -
A World War Two based theme park - 40% London.

What is the symbol of Remembrance Day? -
McDonalds Golden Arches - 37.5% London.

Who was Hitler? -
Coach to the German national football team - 9.5% West Midlands.

And who was Joseph Goebbels? -
A well-known Jew who wrote a diary in the attic - 30% North West.

You can find the study here.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I find this jaw dropping to be honest.

The way i look at it is most of us on here are from roughly the same generation, we had direct access to family members that were part of certainly the second world war.

So by the age of 9 I would wager that we at least knew who Adolf Hitler was.

At our school I know we studied ancient history to the age of 14, then from 14 upwards it was modern history - and thats where in part the ins and outs of the wars were discussed. I'm sure we must've glossed over momentous events before that though.

I can't truthfully remember the age at which I knew what had happened back then - but at 15 - dear god it saddens me.

Maybe there are ex UK teachers on here that can explain the modern day curriculum, and exactly what is taught in History lessons. Or is History now a defunct subject replaced by expressive jazzercise underwater?

Re: Lest we forget...
 

...which is where, as we now know, the battle of britain was fought. :blink:

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Of course - silly me <heads to corner, wearing white pointy hat with a D on it>

Re: Lest we forget...
 

If this was multi choice (assumed based upon such bizare answers getting high response rates otherwise), asking teens, then they deserve it for putting the ridiculous choices down in the first place - I would be tempted to answer like that anyway.

However, I've known some kids like this - another one is not realising we are not part of the US (& by we, I mean uk, although I imagine the same can happen in Canada).

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Yay! It's trite cliche time again. I'm going to try and reclaim the word "lest".

We've put a note on the front door to remind us to turn the heating off when we go out... lest we forget.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You quite simply disgust me. Grow up and have some respect.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

One should not risk such a post lest it provoke the humourless.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Note, this is the maple leaf forum. A sense of humour may be required from time to time:sneaky:


If it was multiple choice I would also have been tempted to opt for some of the stupider answers. Kids are not as dumb as all that.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Some things are not there to have humour poked at them.

Take the piss out of me all you want but people who died for their country, yeah that sounds like fun!

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I disgust myself sometimes. The amount of times I've woken up not knowing where my trousers are. I should attach some kind of tracking device to them to reveal their location... lest I forget.

Um... no.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

[QUOTE=iaink;8076313]Note, this is the maple leaf forum. A sense of humour may be required from time to time:sneaky:


QUOTE]


Thanks for the info.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You seem to be one of those things.

Actually, I was taking the piss out of people who parrot them same meaningless babble at this time of year. They just love reminding us how sincere and respectful they are - lest we forget - by spending 50p on a plastic flower.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

We only knew so much about the war because...

(1) We played soldiers, and ran around machine-gunning each other at playtimes.

(2) There were war films on TV every week. Christmas/New Year was a bonanza of Nazi-killing... The Guns of Navarone, The Great Escape, The Eagle Has Landed, A Bridge Too Far... we knew and loved them all.

(3) Commando magazine. Remember them? The Krauts all said "Aaargghh!" or "Uuurrghh!!" when the brave Tommies dispatched them by the dozen, while the Japs all said "Aiiiieeeeee!!!".

For us, the war was FUN, and it was part of our popular culture. That's how we know so much about it.

How on earth is any child today expected to know as much about WWII as we do? We don't let them play outside any more, gun games are taboo, tyou never see war films any more, and Commando magazine is probably banned.

Lest we forget indeed. Why should a kid 'respect' an old veteran when he has no idea of what he did? All he sees is an old codger in trench coat standing by a wreath while a dreary old bugle plays.

Remembrance Day should have all the great movies on (my fave - Kelly's Heroes, ridiculuous, I know:D), and kids and their dads and grandads should be running round the streets slaughtering each other with sticks for machine-guns. THAT might get kids interested in what happened in the war.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

11. How Did Japan attack Pearl Harbour?

a. Nuclear attack
b. Suicide bombing by plane
c.Tank Rush
d. Troop invasion





Now, I may not have a masters in history (unlike my OH), but even I know none of those is the correct answer. Japan didnt resort to suicide attacks until much later in the war. Kids I can understand getting stuff wrong, but the veterans organisation posing the questions...c'mon!

To the kids credit, the vast majority of them say they would like to learn more about the wars, and that they think about the sacrifices others have had to make.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Ah, lest. The only use, I believe, of the subjunctive in the English language.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

1. Everything is fair game for humour.

2. The joke here is about the waste of language, not about people.

For mockery of people I remind you of last year's Rememberance Day thread, lest you've forgotten.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Was it not required that you go to England recently?

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Remembrance Day used to consist of the Poppy campaign run by the Legion, a special Songs of Praise, probably with the Chelsea Pensioners, and the Cenotaph ceremony on TV.

These days, it's just an industry, like Christmas. I'd wager you've more chance of forgetting your own name.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

But then there are those who have actually been in combat, saw what happened and came back, remembering friends and others who did not. Saw the carnage, experienced the stench that will never leave you, wake up from nightmares years on. Those who returned maimed, doing what they thought was the right thing.

Not forgetting is not a cliche. A few moments in time is not a lot to give to those that gave all. Sorry there are some things where humour is not appropriate.

Reading your comments remind me of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo

Re: Lest we forget...
 

?:confused:? How is it an industry? I must be missing all the rememberence day cards and crap in the shops. All I see here is people wearing poppies and attending the 11/11 service at the local cenotaph.

The legion still needs funding , it doesnt just exist for WW1 and II veterans.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

"Those that gave all" certainly makes up for any lack of triteness in "lest we forget".

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It was indeed. So I did. Got back Tuesday.

I had my annual appraisal/arse-kicking. It was bad timing. Given the shit I caused in Washington the week before, my boss told me: "I fear lest you open your gob again in front of journalists".

On the other hand, my stroppy tongue may well see me heading off to California quite soon. To Santa Clara.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Were this a thread about rememberence day itself that might be true, but as its a thread about the bizzare answers kids gave to a (flawed) questionnaire its not really the case .


Even if it was a "rememberance day" thread its probably not true anyway due to the limited freedom of speech allowed here.(abuse notwithstanding)

Of course, dissing veterans does nothing but make the disser look pretty mean spirited at best, but its a valid enough viewpoint if expressed respectfully.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I can`t address California right now as I don't think there's a future subjunctive, not sure though and me Becherel`s in the car.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

For the record, I feel for the veterans of WW1, a conscript army sent to hell. Somewhat less so for the the veterans of WW2. Those who joined the army in peacetime just took a job, no more respect due to them than to the plumber. Those who went to Iraq or Afghanistan deserve only contempt, and that`s to say nothing of the more controversial engagements of the armed forces over the past few decades.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

you know, the kind of things posted and alluded to on this thread is why i hate internet chat rooms. how droll and intelligent you are, those who deride, poke fun, disrespect and attempt to antagonize, anonymously and without consequence. any one who would like to meet me at the war memorial in st albert on remembrance day and share these feelings in person in front of other veterans for us all to hear feel free.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

I don't think there is a future subjunctive. I may be wrong. I only ever learned about 7 of the 14 tenses. That puts me about 6 ahead of most Quebecois.

Why are you storing your margarine in the car?

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Fridge has gone bonkers, freezes everything.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Perhaps this year we can just acknowledge that nobodys position has changed since last year (or the year before that, or the year before that etc) and just refer back to the previous thread rather than go over the whole thing yet again:rolleyes::zzz:

Re: Lest we forget...
 

wow thats tough of you. will you be going to a veterans hospital and sharing your thoughts. no thought not.
no matter what your thoughts on the wars or conflicts the armed forces are engaged in, saying they only deserve contempt, especially when they return maimed and disfigured for life is itself contemptuous.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Ah, would that it were so!

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Deliberately so, surely?

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You are Capt Jean Luc Picard and I claim my $5!

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You have a point but things are slow here today and failure to attack the Old Lie suggests acquiescence to the views of the vainglorious posters.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

i just don't see why some things cannot retain a certain respectful air about them. not everything on here has to turn into a 'look at me, my spelling and grammar is amazing, as is my knowledge of history. i am an academic, you are a pleb, therefore i am correct'

i think it is worth highlighting this, maybe by doing so the quite disgusting tone of some of these posts can make other posters aware that some on here are not 'cool' or 'insightful' just nasty, bitter and superior.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

i have a feeling by posting this that you are simply after a huge bite. quite why you would use such a subject to attempt this is beyond me.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

why is it vain or glorious to highlight those who are disrespectful and lacking in values, empathy and basic human compassion and ask that they recognise and remember the suffering of others.

Re: Lest we forget...
 

You are correct there Rae. Year after year the same BE posters make an @rse of themselves being so disrespectful over the Remembrance Day threads. They are so self-obsessed and live in the their own bitter little bubble. Worse still, some of them are parents :(

Re: Lest we forget...
 

Im sure internet annonymity has something to do with it, but on the other hand maybe you are just feeding the troll by bothering to dispute it. As I said, personally I think it says far more about the person posting than the veterans themselves. But its a valid enough position to take, and there surely is a difference between conscripted cannon fodder and todays professional solfdiers in some respects. However rising to the bait rather than ignoring posts just brings more attention to the whole thing and acts as encouragement for others to argue just for the sake of it.


I say just let others make there own conclusions. As you have probably realised by now, just cos something is written on the internet does not necessarily mean its true, so there is no need to defend every view opposing your own to the hilt.

As long as things dont descend into personal comments and abuse then its within the rules to have a disenting opinion here.