The American Spectator : I'm All Right, Jack

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I'm All Right, Jack

By Hal G.P. Colebatch on 4.17.07 @ 12:07AM

The behavior of the British sailors taken hostage in Iran raises a larger question: What has happened to the British armed forces?

p>During one of Britain's 19th century wars with China a British soldier in a force under Lord Elgin was captured by the Chinese and beheaded for refusing to Kow-Tow. The incident inspired what was for a time a famous poem: br> /p> blockquote> em>Last night, among his fellow roughs, br> He jested, quaffed, and swore; br> A drunken private of the Buffs, br> Who never looked before. br> To-day, beneath the foeman's frown, br> He stands in Elgin's place, br> Ambassador from Britain's crown, br> And type of all her race. /em> p> em>Poor, reckless, rude, low-born, untaught,

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topics:
Military, Iraq, Iran, Russia

About the Author

Hal G.P. Colebatch's "Immram," Counterstrike, is being published by Australian publisher Imaginites.

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