Oddly Enough Blog
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They have no knees over there?
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Blog Guy, as a respected military historian, can you explain where various armies get their marching styles, uniforms, salutes and so on?
Good question. It varies. The military in your richer, better-known nations hire experts to adapt the best traditions and give them a unique and stirring pomp and pageantry.
Ah. But what about those other countries we’ve never heard of?
Oh well, that’s anybody’s freaking guess! I’ve read some of them just rent old comedy videos for their inspiration. This clip may shed more light: Ministry of Silly Walks
(small photo: Monty Python screen shot)
A soldier marches during rehearsal for May 9 Victory Day parade in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 23, 2008. REUTERS/Nozim Kalandarov
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George Orwell said it best: “Beyond a certain point, military display is only possible in countries where the common people dare not laugh at the army.”
Although I suspect there are a lot of people laughing at this guy right now.
I had no idea that you were a military historian.