Paths of Glory

The film describes trench warfare during World War 1; a General played by Adolph Menjou of the French General Staff asks his subordinate General, to send his division on a suicidal mission to take a well-defended hill. The General initially advises against the attack, citing the low probability of success and the danger to his beloved soldiers, but when Menjou mentions the possibility of a promotion, he quickly convinces himself the attack will succeed.

A Colonel, played by Kirk Douglas protests that the only result of the attack will be to weaken the French army with heavy losses for no benefit. The attack on the German position proceeds, but ends in complete failure.

So many died for so little and nothing changed.

Stanley Kubrick Directed this depressing movie many years ago. It was based on the novel of the same name.

The book had no title when it was finished, so the publisher held a contest. The winning entry came from the ninth stanza of the famous Thomas Grey poem "Elegy Written in a Country Church-yard".

"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th'inevitable hour.
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

As we continue this Bush/Cheney invented war. it is not a "reach" to attribute to them "The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,"

We have managed to have exceeded four thousand of our best, brightest, and bravest killed and thirty thousand wounded so far in this war.

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

I will watch Wimbledon on Television. play paddle tennis, go to a Movie and go out for dinner, and all the while, our sons and daughters are in harms way, and more of them will continue to be in harms way to be killed and wounded.

Our Television Networks are still functioning, and still making money, and "gobs" of it. They could tell us the names and show us pictures of our kids who are killed or wounded each day. They owe them and us at least that.

Norman Horowitz
A four year Air Force Veteran stationed in America who did not get killed or wounded during another foolish war in Korea

Comments

[Sam1]

Then end of the movie is even more tragic. Members of the regiment are selected at random tried, convicted, and shot for cowardice, In a really pathitic scene a wounded solider is carried out on to the field, the strecher is leaned aganist the firing pole and executed by firing squad. In war there are more paths to the grave then glory.

[jmpurser]

Were they our "our best, brightest, and bravest"? I don't know but I doubt it. I think by and in large they were Americans who joined up for a variety of reasons, swore an oath, and were betrayed by our president and our country. Because while they may or may not have been "our best, brightest, and bravest" even stripped of all these belated trappings of "honor" they were ours. And we did betray them and for the most part without a second thought.