Moral relativism
Brian Abraham,
I am well aware of the 'nation making' nature of Gallipoli and the casualties inflicted on the Kiwi troops (Lt Col Chris Pugsley's book 'Gallipoli' is a particular good account of the New Zealand involvment - Pugsley, by the way, is a lecturer at RMA Sandhurst). I have also, on two occasions, been invited by MFAT to lay wreaths on ANZAC day at obscure Commonwealth Cemetaries. But whether the casualty rate is 1/100, 10/100 or 20/100, there should be no moral relativism to death on the battlefield. However, if you were to read most Australian tomes on the Dardanelles campaign, UK and French casualties hardly rate a mention.
Again, this morning, I attended a repatriation ceremony in my particular TOA and it was intensly moving. Whether it was one young man or ten carried aloft by their comrades, it was still a sobering sight.