The Monarchist 1.0
Defending the British Crown Commonwealth and the English-Speaking Peoples
[+] HONOURING OUR PATRON, SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, VICTOR OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES
[+] HONOURING OUR QUEEN, ELIZABETH THE SECOND, ON THE 80TH YEAR OF HER BIRTH (1926 - 2006)
[+] HONOURING OUR KING, SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, ON THE 1000TH YEAR OF HIS BIRTH (1005 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR HERO, LORD NELSON, ON THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (1805 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR SONS, THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE 'WAR ON TERROR'
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, Royal Canadian Regiment, Nov 27, 2006 (Afstan)
Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, 34, Intelligence Corps, Nov 12, 2006 (Iraq)
Private Jacob B. Kovco, 25, Royal Australian Regiment, April 21, 2006
[+] HONOURING OUR VETS ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORIA CROSS (1856 - 2006)
Thursday, October 06, 2005
A bloody war or a sickly season
COUNTDOWN TO TRAFALGAR 200 (BOT minus 16 days)
Today is Thursday, so it seems fitting in honour of our immortal Lord Nelson to offer up Thursday’s traditional naval toast, to a bloody war or a sickly season, in defiance of the pampered politically correct who would consider such a gesture as “a grisly reference to making room for more promotions through the deaths of individuals higher up the chain of command”. It is true that naval officers gloried for the coming battle, and that if not, the hope remained that ageing admirals would die off rather than clog up opportunities for advancement. But so what? Good on them that they were ambitious. Big deal if they were blunt about it. What I admire is how we English can make a crude adage sound so artistically and blissfully expressive and eloquent. A bloody war or a sickly season. Why it’s just downright Shakespearian.
So you can imagine how shocked, shocked I was when I learnt that Her Majesty’s Canadian Navy had changed most of the traditional toasts back in 1999 in order to bring them “into a form that echoed current Canadian values”. I left my ten year stint as a bridge watchkeeper back in 1997, so I had no idea that they had done this. It is one thing for politicians to clamour for change in this way, but for Admirals? Just listen to this vintage performance straight from National Disgrace Headquarters:
Yes, t’is a sickly season in this part of the Anglosphere. It is laughable that they would propose such reforms under the rubric of “Project Pride”. It is offensive to veterans that they would institute such sacrilege effective on the anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, Sunday, May 2, 1999. So what did they replace it with? Our Navy. Why? Because they no longer consider it Her Majesty’s, I suppose.
Oh what a bloody season or a sickly nation this is. When we are offended by the past.
POSTED BY: The Monarchist AT 4:24 p.m. | LINKS |
COUNTDOWN TO TRAFALGAR 200 (BOT minus 16 days)Today is Thursday, so it seems fitting in honour of our immortal Lord Nelson to offer up Thursday’s traditional naval toast, to a bloody war or a sickly season, in defiance of the pampered politically correct who would consider such a gesture as “a grisly reference to making room for more promotions through the deaths of individuals higher up the chain of command”. It is true that naval officers gloried for the coming battle, and that if not, the hope remained that ageing admirals would die off rather than clog up opportunities for advancement. But so what? Good on them that they were ambitious. Big deal if they were blunt about it. What I admire is how we English can make a crude adage sound so artistically and blissfully expressive and eloquent. A bloody war or a sickly season. Why it’s just downright Shakespearian.
So you can imagine how shocked, shocked I was when I learnt that Her Majesty’s Canadian Navy had changed most of the traditional toasts back in 1999 in order to bring them “into a form that echoed current Canadian values”. I left my ten year stint as a bridge watchkeeper back in 1997, so I had no idea that they had done this. It is one thing for politicians to clamour for change in this way, but for Admirals? Just listen to this vintage performance straight from National Disgrace Headquarters:
In a recent report Chief of the Maritime Staff Vice-Admiral Greg Maddison explained that traditional daily toasts originated in the wardrooms of the Royal Navy, and some reflected the values of another age…In his report VAdm Maddison said that "We all know there is a degree of change fatigue and that some people will object to this change in principle. Let us not gripe about 'change for change's sake' or 'doing away with sacred traditions' or 'eating away at our ethics'. Let us celebrate our own traditions, take pride in being Canadian and move on into the future, proud of where we have come from, but confident of who we are as Canadians."
"I would like to ask all members of the navy, and particularly those who have served in the past, to approach this in the spirit in which it is intended. Changing the toasts is not a fundamental break with our heritage, it is just a small way of improving on a tradition which we wish to retain."
Yes, t’is a sickly season in this part of the Anglosphere. It is laughable that they would propose such reforms under the rubric of “Project Pride”. It is offensive to veterans that they would institute such sacrilege effective on the anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, Sunday, May 2, 1999. So what did they replace it with? Our Navy. Why? Because they no longer consider it Her Majesty’s, I suppose.
Oh what a bloody season or a sickly nation this is. When we are offended by the past.
POSTED BY: The Monarchist AT 4:24 p.m. | LINKS |
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