Tending anachronisms in the digital age
Welcome to 2016. It seems fitting to open the new year with a temporal subject. More so, in the sort of moment when people are most keen to look forward and relinquish the past, it is particularly satisfying to offer a piece which challenges the relentless march to the future. The place of anachronistic practices is the focus of this week’s blog and discussion. With some equine assistance, the value of military anachronisms is championed, credited with the real effectiveness of armed forces.
This week I noted two tweets from the British Army on horses. The first named the favourite photo of the Army in London as from the Household Cavalry Regiment.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Thank you for voting. You chose this image <a href=”https://twitter.com/HCMRegt">@HCMRegt</a> as your favourite photo from 2015. Now for a caption! <a href=”https://t.co/2Oxrg7MXrb">pic.twitter.com/2Oxrg7MXrb</a></p>— The Army in London (@ArmyInLondon) <a href=”https://twitter.com/ArmyInLondon/status/683420668738801667">January 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The second was an obituary for Sevastopol, “the dirtiest horse in the British Army.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Happy frolics and mud rolling in the big grassy field in the sky for <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sevastapol?src=hash">#Sevastapol</a>. A noble trumpet horse. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP?src=hash">#RIP</a> <a href=”https://t.co/q70LT9Y5e2">https://t.co/q70LT9Y5e2</a></p>— Household Cavalry (@HCMRegt) <a href=”https://twitter.com/HCMRegt/status/684694876068417536">January 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Now, the British undoubtedly have a fondness for their horses (and animals generally). And it is equally undeniable that the nation’s armed forces have a strong affinity for their customs and traditions, even as these may be out of place in contemporary conflict. Thus, while their utility upon the battlefield is constrained and even seemingly farcical, for ceremonial purposes alone the horses will remain. But, to leave the matter here does not do sufficient justice to the subject.
In an age which prioritises innovation in a resource constrained environment, can such anachronisms linger? With technologically aided advancements across all aspects of human life, not to mention warfare, do these holdovers from the past add value?
I would argue yes, and not simply because even military historians are trained to prize the customs and traditions of armed forces. Beyond the standard arguments for this state of affairs, the existence of contradictions to the modern pace and style of life or warfare serve notice that war — organized force on behalf of a group — is primal to humanity. As true now as at any moment in history, although technology may press the endeavour forward, the reminder of its inherent primitiveness is necessary, even as military personnel must act in the current environment. Which leads us to the recognition that armed forces are in fact an exercise in balancing this temporal trinity of past, present, and future. That is, military institutions are meant to be able to achieve the comfort of this last photo, blending the three with seamless ease.
The tricky part is identifying which anachronisms serve the needs of the armed forces and which do not.
Turning to this week’s discussion, then, the questions are:
- What valuable anachronisms have you encountered in service? Would you have considered them valuable at the time?
- Does the temporal framework suggested above offer some explanation for the difficulties encountered when creating and training new armed forces elsewhere? That is, do they fail because the necessary historical leg is absent, often by design?
- Alternatively, is a wholly modern and forward looking force possible, and even more important, effective?
Give them a ponder and join us on Twitter at #CCLKOW.
