Remembrance Sunday

Church bells have been ringing with even greater regularity than usual this today and I can hear the echo of an amplified sound system from my desk. It is Remembrance Sunday in the UK. Although the country observes two minutes of silence at 11AM on November 11^th, the actual Remembrance Day, most of the major ceremonies are observed on the second Sunday of November.  Local branches of the Royal British Legions arrange local ceremonies at war memorials across the country, there is a brief parade of veterans and people place wreaths of poppies at the base of the monument. Unfortunately, I had rowing at 11AM this morning so I wasn’t able to attend the main ceremony but I biked past the memorial on my way to practice. I was quite clearly going against the tide, as throngs of people walked towards the memorial. Most of them were smartly dressed, with poppies in their lapels, and looked to be coming straight from church.

What little I did observe impressed me as a solemn commemoration of sacrifice and a thoughtful reflection on the costs of war. The British have clearly managed to avoid the outpouring of nationalist pride that pervades so many American holidays. Perhaps our country’s short history, the myth of American Exceptionalism and the absence of a truly existential struggle for survival causes the United States to act with the hubris of youthful exuberance- we wave flags, dress in gaudy colors and toast to the glory of America’s might. But Britain seems more subdued. Theirs is a contemplative reflection on the costs of empire, the lost generations and the burden of leadership. America participated in both World Wars but I think we tend to forget how deeply personal these wars were for Europe. Many families lost brothers, fathers, uncles and sons on a scale that we cannot appreciate. Whole city blocks in London were razed to the ground and parts of the British countryside still bear the scars of Axis bombing campaigns, while the US has never endured a sustained attack on its homeland. For us the wars were a right of passage and we emerged politically and economically stronger, while Britain relinquished its role as the world’s leading power. Once upon a time the sun never set on the British Empire and now she lives in the shadow of America. The common arc of history is the rise and fall of empires and America would be wise to remember that our power is not inherent, our morals are not necessarily superior and our future is not guaranteed. The sober and staid reflection of our principal ally should serve as an example of humility and a lesson in the cycle of empires.