Are The Guardian Struggling To Fill Space?

Hello,
I don't read The Guardian much these days, it interferes with my balance and makes me feel that I've stepped into another world. Anyway I couldn't obtain a Herald for ready money anywhere on Tuesday and was left with a choice between The Star and The Guardian. What else could I do?

Can you guess what burning issue of the day caught my eye? Don't even try, you'll never get it. George Monbiot gets his y-fronts in a knot about memorials to heroic animals who served in wars. George reckons this is a very bad thing because of all Iraqis we've killed. Bloody hell! Is the man clinically insane? I would argue that the memorials to our four legged friends betrays a certain sentimentality towards animals which is rather typical of Britain. Not that I mind, I like living in a country prosperous enough to be a bit soppy about animals and find it preferable to seeing dancing bears and performing donkeys hobbling about, given that the unfortunate animals are usually tormented by poverty stricken human beings trying to earn a few pence. I'm also capable of of feeling sorry for the dead Iraqis and their families, the troops serving in Iraq and all the fluffy animals. However don't go thinking I'm a nice person, the violent fantasies I entertain about our political masters defy description.

Later in the article he notes that a few wealthy right wing types have sponsored the statues . I'm not sure why this is relevant. It's a bit like people telling one Hitler was a vegetarian as if it's in any way significant. I'm always puzzled as to why they tend to omit the fact that Hitlers diet was in response to health problems rather than any moral objection to killing animals. I'm no expert but I think Hitler's role in the Holocaust makes any moral basis to his vegetarianism unlikely. Would you believe that George does mention the Nazis?

Does he honestly expect us to start putting up memorials to everyone we've offed in wars? Good God if I were an Iraqi and I heard that the British were walloping up statues to remember my dead, I'd be glad that money was been spent on something other than liberating me. Then I'd be insulted. It may be that George is only capable of feeling compassion for one thing at a time. Or as his comment about supporting monuments to broiler chickens suggests only feels compassion where it fits with his political/ moral views. Either way I rather think that's his problem and not ours.

Cheerio