Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
BCF : French President Emmanuel Macron is set to go head-to-head against
far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in a runoff later this month, after
the two secured the most votes in the first round of France’s presidential election.
Where do the candidates stand?
Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, is running for reelection. Macron's term has been marked by ups and downs. The so-called yellow vest movement in 2018 was triggered by his business-friendly policies and tax cuts for the wealthy. With his term coming to an end, he is leading opinion polls. He
seemed to have put aside traditional campaigning — until two weeks ago —
and rather focused on diplomatic efforts, most notably with Russia and
Ukraine.
Macron's opponent will be far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who also faced off against him during the 2017 presidential election. Unlike Macron, Le Pen has been campaigning for months, focusing on inflation and incomes. But
she has been criticized in Europe for her 2017 stance against the EU
and NATO — currently two major players in the response to Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
She also has drawn controversy for wanting
to ban Muslim headscarves in public, as well as getting rid of halal and
kosher butchers. Le Pen has also campaigned for years in favor of
significantly reducing immigration from outside Europe.
