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."
Exposing Pakistan's Disturbing Past: Atrocities Too Evil To Comprehend
Saturday, October 14, 2023
The Dominion of Pakistan came into existence in 1947. Covering the modern area of Pakistan in the West and Bangladesh in the East, their shared Muslim faith was not enough to bridge the many linguistic, ethnic, and cultural gaps between the two sides of the country.
West Pakistan and its Urdu-speaking elites dominated the entire state, although the ethnically Bengali East were the majority of the population. The Bengali majority was discriminated against in education, the military, politics, and other aspects of life. This discrimination fell especially hard on the Hindu minority, but the Muslim majority was also characterized as a lesser cultural and racial group to the Western Pakistani.
The Pakistani government also tried to suppress Bengali culture, arts, and literature as too “Hindu leaning.” On top of this, economic exploitation of the East’s resources with minimal return investment also created resentment and left the East feeling more like a colony than an equal partner.
Despite this, the Bengalis were reputed for their non-violence. Their discontent was funneled through democratic means, namely the Awami League (AL) under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also known as Sheikh Mujib.
The AL pushed for more autonomy for East Pakistan, but try as they might, the Bengalis did not get the democratic resolution they’d hoped for.
