The End of the American Century

[slo5oh]

I agree, the German people shouldn't be tarnished for the actions of two men, one an inadequate misfit, the other a dreamer with a truly perverted fear of the Jewish race.

and Chinese soldiers shouldn't be tarnished for killing thousands of unarmed students?
I'm sure it was Hitler himself that was gassing and burning and burying alive all the jews during his "cleaning" process. Many citizens knew what was going on. Since they were disarmed there was not much they could do, even if they wanted to.

[pritch]

obviously those who took part in war crimes etc. are culpable, at least up to a point. Ipersonally would go for the ring leaders rather than the rank and file.

Ordinary Germans were pretty much forced into line, or brainwashed becuase of the abject hopelessness of the situation before Hitler took over.

It's impossible for us to know how we'd have behaved if faced with the Gestappo. I'd like to think I'd oppose and stand up for rightousness but I think I'd value my survival and my family's lives first. Hence we can't be harsh on (all) the German citizens

[dsm]

I agree, the German people shouldn't be tarnished for the actions of two men, one an inadequate misfit, the other a dreamer with a truly perverted fear of the Jewish race.

and Chinese soldiers shouldn't be tarnished for killing thousands of unarmed students?
I'm sure it was Hitler himself that was gassing and burning and burying alive all the jews during his "cleaning" process. Many citizens knew what was going on. Since they were disarmed there was not much they could do, even if they wanted to.

So, you'd punish people who have already suffered more than they deserve huh?
Ordinary Wehrmacht soldiers were just ordinary young people who had been given two choices:
1. Join the Army, see the World, win Honour and Glory (and whatever bs they would say), or
2. Be put up against the wall and get your hide filled with lead.
Besides, few of these men knew nothing about what the heck was going on other than they had to obey or die. And no, not many citizens knew what was going on, mate.

And you're right! Hitler doidn't gas the Jews by himself (lots of those Jews were actually Germans!), as he had a number of arsehole followers (true nazis), go figure. I mean, look at society today, dammit! There are still nazi-pricks in most western countries, who want to send the Jews to Concentration camps and shit.

[pritch]

heh, dsm rulez.

[echo]

[ShadyXMR]

Both sides of the Germany WWI WWII issue are correct, you can't reject one interpretation and accept another unless you have shit for brains.

[dsm]

Both sides of the Germany WWI WWII issue are correct, you can't reject one interpretation and accept another unless you have shit for brains.

...As long as you people don't yell "fuck the Germans" whenever you come across a bunch of German tourists.
I have a friend who's half German and it really saddens her that frightfully many people dislike Germans, simply because of Germany's past.
Wake up! The young Germans of today aren't responsible for what happened back then and thus should not be punished.

[ShadyXMR]

...As long as you people don't yell "fuck the Germans" whenever you come across a bunch of German tourists.

No need to worry there, I usually yell out "fuck the Humans" and make no distinctions. That way, nobody feels left out.

[dsm]

No need to worry there, I usually yell out "fuck the Humans" and make no distinctions. That way, nobody feels left out.

/sarcasm/Well thanks for reassuring me!/sarcasm/

[Lüt]

Then some prat assasinated a Jugoslavian Prince(can't remember the excact country. Serbia?), which was regarded as an agression against the whole country.

ROFL, stupid shits.

[pritch]

Then some prat assasinated a Jugoslavian Prince(can't remember the excact country. Serbia?), which was regarded as an agression against the whole country.

ROFL, stupid shits.

do you mean stupid as in that statement pretty much goes without saying, stupid shits as in the Yugoslavs, stupid shits as in us for discussing it, or stupid as in he was an idiot to shoot the guy in the first place. Or stupid as in war is stupid.

You see what happens when people are ambiguous? ;)

[Sharessa]

I have a friend who's half German and it really saddens her that frightfully many people dislike Germans, simply because of Germany's past.

Heh. I'm half German, though the last ancestor to live there died about 50 years ago. But still, people think I'm a nazi just because I wanted to learn German. People = dumb.

[Lüt]

do you mean stupid as in that statement pretty much goes without saying, stupid shits as in the Yugoslavs, stupid shits as in us for discussing it, or stupid as in he was an idiot to shoot the guy in the first place. Or stupid as in war is stupid.

No, why anybody would take that shooting as an offense against the entire country. Somebody didn't like the dude, so what. You take assasinations against the entire country once everybody in the entire country has had an assasination attempt on them. I figured only the American legal system could possibly turn a single person's death into a threat against the country, and even then it would have a hard time doing that.

[dsm]

Heh. I'm half German, though the last ancestor to live there died about 50 years ago. But still, people think I'm a nazi just because I wanted to learn German. People = dumb.

Yeah, one of my classmates (or whatever you call them on higher educations) told me that she was reading a German text in the train on her way home and then someone saw that she was reading German and frowned at her - stupid prat.

[pritch]

do you mean stupid as in that statement pretty much goes without saying, stupid shits as in the Yugoslavs, stupid shits as in us for discussing it, or stupid as in he was an idiot to shoot the guy in the first place. Or stupid as in war is stupid.

No, why anybody would take that shooting as an offense against the entire country. Somebody didn't like the dude, so what. You take assasinations against the entire country once everybody in the entire country has had an assasination attempt on them. I figured only the American legal system could possibly turn a single person's death into a threat against the country, and even then it would have a hard time doing that.

Well, when you get people like Princess Diana it's probably possible to generate that effect. I know she died in an accident, but imagine if she had been murdered, well people were so wrapped up in the ridiculous euphoria surrounding her that anyone with guile could've turned the nation into idiots baying for the blood of a supposed 'killer'.

Was it orion who said People = Dumb.?

Dumb, perhaps, led by their emotions, more likely.

[Wobbo]

WW1 started b/c of imperialism, the industial revolution, and Nationalism happeneing ALL AT ONCE. ONE LONE ASSASIN CANT CAUSE A WORLD WAR. I KNOW they teach you better in teh textbooks

[Sharessa]

Was it orion who said People = Dumb.?

That was me. And I'm sticking with that.

[pritch]

Was it orion who said People = Dumb.?

That was me. And I'm sticking with that.

And so you should. I always get you and orion mixed up, must be cos we're the only three spammers left :)

Mind you, you and I have an excuse. We both have postcounts in need of workouts. Mine especially.

[Sharessa]

If I wanted to work out my post count, I would ressurect my old username. I just 'spam' because I have nothing better to do.

[pritch]

yeah, yeah. I thought you were plotting the danarchist revolution?

[Sharessa]

The plotting is over. It's already begun.

[dsm]

WW1 started b/c of imperialism, the industial revolution, and Nationalism happeneing ALL AT ONCE. ONE LONE ASSASIN CANT CAUSE A WORLD WAR. I KNOW they teach you better in teh textbooks

True, countries wanted to conquer, but the assasination was the excuse for the start of the war. If the assasination had not taken place they'd likely've found another stupid excuse.
I will, however, not argue about the true cause of WW1, but it's a fact that Germany alone wasn't responsible for the war. Each major country was responsible - everyone wanted to conquer and for that they sent millions of fine young men straight to Hell.
These countries were all fairly powerful, but the more power they got, the more they wanted, enter: WW1.

Power corrupts,
absolute power corrupts absolutely

[pritch]

Power corrupts,
absolute power corrupts absolutely

Heh, a fellow History student. I can spot 'em a mile off.

That was, was it not, the first Baron Acton who said those immortal words?

Did he not also say that great men are almost always bad men?

[Sharessa]

Power corrupts,
absolute power corrupts absolutely

Heh, a fellow History student. I can spot 'em a mile off.

Meh. Everyone knows that.

[dsm]

Power corrupts,
absolute power corrupts absolutely

Heh, a fellow History student. I can spot 'em a mile off.

That was, was it not, the first Baron Acton who said those immortal words?

Did he not also say that great men are almost always bad men?

Like The_Danarchist said: Everyone (well almost everyone) knows this.
You guessed wrong pritch, I'm no History student (but I like to study certain elements of History - mainly wars).