Leonidas of Sparta was always one of my favourites and his valiant stand at Thermopylae seemed to me to be an ultimate in what a real King should be.
Then we have Homer's account of the life and times of numerous other 'Heroes' of the Trojan Wars in the 'Iliad', followed by 'The Odyssey' which deals mainly with the adventures of 'King Odysseus' and his companions.
There are countless examples of 'Heroic' deeds performed by the idols of many (if not ALL) nations on earth, naturally the tales related serve to inspire the young and instill in them a desire to emulate their 'Heroes'.
Who can deny the valour of David when he faced Goliath ?, ALL acts of valour are invariably the result of a minor force confronting (not necessarily beating) a superior one and 'I' was always taught that ANY action of the strong against the weak was 'Bullying'.
Not now, it seems...........all one has to do in order to become a 'Hero' (according to Western ideology) is to be shot to death by a lesser force than that which one is allied to, thus the title of 'Hero' has been cheapened and the actions of 'The Bully' exalted.
I do wonder if anyone noticed the spectacle which took place at 'The Cenotaph' on remembrance Sunday when the 'Royals' in their uniforms of high rank delivered their tributes to the fallen.
A sloppier bunch of bastards 'I' (as ex-military) have seldom seen (except whenever they are present of course) with their slovenly manner in leaving and rejoining the ranks of honour, their fluffy little half hearted salutations and their hypocritical countenances throughout the ceremony, they do not come to life at all until they are back in the comfort zones of the lavish lounges fondling each others backsides as they sip at the port.
By God, MY C.S.M. would have soon licked them into shape on the square of Shepton Mallet.
Finally, a seriously handicapped young soldier, minus his right arm and both legs appeared on T.V. (subsequent to viewers being warned of the sensitivity of such an appearance) strapped in a wheelchair and was questioned about his future role IN THE ARMY, he responded by stating that he had been offered assurances that he was still of use and had accepted his situation.
It is a pity that the poor chap could not be pensioned off and perhaps make room for one of the many thousands of the unemployed in the land he contributed his legs and arm to.
Incidentally, Tony Blair was in the crowd of 'Dignitaries' that were in attendance at the ceremony, I am sure HE got home safely.
