The Pheasant, Wizard Award Winner Options

[Guest_Nina_*]

James

You are most welcome

Nina

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Nina, thanks for re-visiting.

To be trivial for a moment (because such things amuse me). This is my 1600th post on MM and I earn my Fifth pip for my fun. So I'm rite chuffed.

You have interestingly juxtaposed Cathy's poem and mine to make a fascinating point. Thank you. What do you think, Cathy?

My response is thus:

Cathy's sequence of poems complete one work and so (sorry!) I may have missed the justification for the war. However, in the particular verse quoted I see none; it is accepted as is.

My point was that the guns were all ready to kill the pheasant but he was quicker. There is no suggestion he was especially wicked, heartless, brutal nor inhumane (interesting concept for a bird)  nor took any pleasure in the killing. It was the cliche situation of "them or me." I suppose the pheasant could have flown elsewhere but the guns would have followed him. Besides, the Palestinians and Israelis are rather static.

How could anyone call the pheasant's reaction insane? A pacifist might disagree with it but it is survival - the basic biological imperative - so is as sane as can be.

Therefore, unless the explanation is elsewhere in Cathy's work, I think we have two very different situations here: two different motives and two different approaches.

For me, war is a terrible business, filled with no glory, no heroism in general and no victory at the end. But some wars do need fighting in order to survive - either literally or at least in relative freedom. When Blair said that the recent Iraq war was vital for the safety of the UK I supported it. I now feel duped and believe the war was wrong. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that, in the longer run, Iraq and the World are better-off without Saddam. However, we can't simply declare war everywhere we don't like the government. I don't see the pheasant even in that light. I see him more as fighting the Battle of Britain against the Nazi invaders. And that, I do believe was right and necessary. Think of the consequences if Hitler had succeeded.

I think the final word "slaughter" was right. For me, it prevented the poem from being amusing (though others disagree). It also brought home the bloody reality of war. So, even though I "support" the pheasant - I still hate the process. In the case of the Palestinians and Israelis negotiation is the only way forward, leading to non-interference either way. But the Germans could not have been stopped that way... they may have left Britain alone but not the rest of Europe.

I think that's my rather rambling answer. Any use, Nina? Thanks again.

James.