PTSD

A brief survey of celebrations on 25 April, 2006

In Nepal, the King's backed down and is (allegedly) allowing Parliament to reconvene, the new Hungarian Prime Minister does a Hugh Grant (Via Crooked Timber) and it's ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand.

Did I mention that Australian History (and Australian politics) were required classes for my undergrad? Unlike Nepal, which has stories about its soldiers winning heaps of battles (though never for Nepal, as Nepal was always neutral), the Australian versions were mostly about (bravely) charging at some sure-to-be lost target and (heroically) dying in large numbers.

Maybe unsurprisingly though, stories about the type of soldiers these were -- the Gurkhas and the ANZAC soldiers as brave and outside of "regular" authority, willing to fight for countries other than their own for issues which usually did not affect them directly but were important for Humankind --are rather similar as is the creation of national identities (and myths) revolving around their exploits. Shades of the Doctor in PTSD's earlier post?

posted by Priya @ 1:05 AM