En Passant

100 years of war, 100 years of resistance: Gallipoli and the Anzac myth – a one-day conference on 9 May at the University of Technology Sydney organised by Solidarity

Historically speaking then, McIntyre is not all that far off the mark, but he has been sacrificed on the altar of populist outrage. The response to McIntyre’s tweets is a demonstration that the popular perception of Anzac is completely out of step with the historical reality – but his remarks are also timely. We should not forget that war is never a one-sided affair in which our boys are squeaky-clean heroes and their boys murdering, raping villains.

Solidarity magazine writes:

‘ Mythology about the Anzacs and the First World War is still used to justify militarism today. But for a number of the Australian soldiers that fought, the experience turned them into socialists and opponents of war.’

To read more click here.

Now Rudd has celebrated the end in July of Australia’s part in the invasion by calling the butchers of Iraq at a parade recently the Anzacs of today. He is right.