Oh Dear Christmas!!!!

"Britain fought to continue to "Rule the waves" - no amount of jingoistic bullshit alters that fact.

Britain in 1914 did not need to fight to "Rule the Waves".

"The Empire they were defending was as rapacious and despotic as any other on the planet

The empire they were defending in 1914 was actually costing Great Britain money and had been doing so since about the 1870. Go through the list of Dominions, former Colonies, Possessions, Protectorates and Territories and you will find that most became independent peacefully and that they were all democracies when they became independent and most retained voluntary ties through the Commonwealth of Nations with Great Britain (Even countries that have never had any historical ties to the UK).

"Both of you clowns continue to ignore that the establishment chose to mark the hundredth anniversary of the war by hosting an arms fair"

How wonderful for you Jim to be able to attribute titles and powers to bodies as it suits your convenience. The 100th Anniversary of of the start of the "Great War" occurred on the 4th August 2014 it was marked by the "establishment" (i.e. by the Government of Great Britain) by:

1: "A candlelit vigil at Westminster Abbey"

2: "The Commonwealth Service at Glasgow Cathedral"

3: "A Ceremony at the St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Mons, Belgium."

No mention at all about an arms fair. But there again that is not surprising Jim is it - I deal in fact you deal in fiction.

I believe that what you are incorrectly and inaccurately referring to was the "Defence and Security Dinner" held inside the Tower of London and hosted by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry's defence and security committee group - they are not "the Establishment" - If you were to tell them so they would be as amazed as would the British Government (Who ARE the Establishment). This dinner was held as it was the previous year in the Tower of London on the 28th November which is the 100th anniversary of "F**k knows what and the following aspects of related to the First World War:

- New York Stock Exchange reopens for Bond trading
- 1916 First German Air Raid on London
- 1918 Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia & Germany

The Tower of London is an Armoury. one of the oldest in the country - So pretty appropriate place I would have thought (Crass and insensitive would have been inside Coventry Cathedral)

The Tower of London has hosted the same dinner on previous occasions

"The only nod in the direction of a tribute to those who died was a watered-down anti-war song with its anti-war message surgically removed - an insult to them and us."

All of which again had S.F.A. to do with the "Establishment" the song was watered-down by the artist with no complaints or protestations of righteous indignation from the person who wrote the song.

Sorry not even close Christmas - Try again.