[lit-ideas] Re: One Plus One equals Russia
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006 04:15:05 -0700
On Apr 4, 2006, at 9:07 PM, Robert Paul wrote:
Carol Kirschenbaum wrote:
I just found out yesterday that I lost a client to that crappy war.
Good kid. He'd been furious that the army lied to him when he first
signed up for the national guard. His word, not mine: Lied.
Section C, Paragraph 9(b) of the enlistment contract states:
"Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change
without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay,
allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the Armed
Forces regardless of the provisions of this enlistment/reenlistment
document."
I am reminded of the mutiny of the 42nd in 1743. Men in this Highland
regiment believed they had signed on for home service. When they got
to London they found they were to be sent to Flanders to join the war
of Austrian Succession. Rumors went round that this too was a ruse and
that they were in fact to be sent to the fever-ridden West Indies. Two
hundred of them, as a unit, complete with arms and ammunition, stole
away in the night. They had covered a hundred miles before the
dragoons found them. All were sentenced to death by a court that took
no account of the fact that many of them didn't speak English. Three
were shot; the rest were sent...to the fever-ridden West Indies. As
their general made clear, "When the Highlanders entered the King's
service they considered themselves as a contracting party in the
agreements made with the Government, from whom they naturally expected
the same punctual performance of their engagements, as well as some
degree, at least, of the kindness and attention which they and their
fathers had met with from their ancient and hereditary chieftains."
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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