Oh what a lovely war

Smith-Pilcher-721-141117We’ve been saturated in khaki this autumn, what with it being the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. There’s been a strange mixture of disgust at the horrors of war and military sentimentality and hero worship. Much as I respect our armed forces I’m finding the commemoration of the centenary is slowly morphing into a celebration of the slaughter, and that leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.