What an ear for the spoken word had Mr.Kipling! One of the great arguments for the repudiation of a Gawd (to use Kipling´s own spelling) or some All Powerful Designer responsible for Creation is to contemplate that chronically, shoddily designed piece of work, Man. What an appalling piece of work is he! A greedy, Chauvenistic war-monger never content to live in harmony with his surroundings but always driven to expand his domains, subjegate his near and more distant neighbours and scheme continually to increase his wealth and influence. At the same time, he continually contradicts his protested and peripheral desires for civilisation by his utterly contradictory, rabid behaviour very much like a beast! (Britain invaded Afghanistan in 1878. The reason for the Second Anglo-Afghan War had less to do with the Afghans than with the fear of expansion of the Russian Empire. The feeling in London in the 1870s was that Russia's eventual goal would be the invasion and seizure of Britain's Jewel in the Crown, the riches of India). THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER When the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East 'E acts like a babe an' 'e drinks like a beast, An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier. Now all you recruities what's drafted to-day, You shut up your rag-box an' 'ark to my lay, An' I'll sing you a soldier as far as I may: A soldier what's fit for a soldier. So-oldier ~OF~ the Queen! First mind you steer clear o' the grog-sellers' huts <b>...</b>
Afghanistan
Second Anglo-Afghan War
British Soldiers
Caspar
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