On my laptop, I found a fragment of audio of my dad recalling the final months of the Second World War. As it’s Remembrance Day, it feels right to share it. His generation went to war on the promise of a tomorrow that wouldn’t repeat the hell of their Great Depression youth. They didn’t fight for empty symbolism or the hollowed-out democracy we endure today. They fought for a democracy built on the foundations of a Welfare State. They endured those long years of war because they believed the peace to come would belong to the working class, not the entitled few. They meant to build a society where ordinary people finally had dignity, security, and a fair chance at life. And they did — and we tore it down. Caveat emptor should have been written on neoliberalism’s sales tag.

Thanks for reading and supporting Harry’s Last Stand.For the past eighteen months, I’ve been finishing The Green and Pleasant Land — the book my dad never had the chance to complete. It’s now done and ready to find its audience.

Like so many others, my survival is a precarious daily undertaking — made harder by cancer, lung disease, and the cost-of-living crisis. If you can, please consider a paid or gift subscription — just £3.50 a month or £30 a year (converted automatically to your currency). The price has remained the same for the last 4 years and will continue to do so.

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Your support keeps me housed and helps preserve the legacy of Harry Leslie Smith — a voice that still matters in this era of forgetfulness.

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Take care,John

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