People do abomidiable things but wen they win they tend to cover them up. Like the firebombing of Dresden ... we never hear about them because they were somthing that was done wrong by the allies.

We learned about the firebombing of Dresden in school. It's fairly well known in the UK (our fault, after all).

Somtimes having a dictator can be a good thing. Especially when the rest of society is so split over a topic that they are literally fighting a covert war that spills out into the street every so often.

Papering over the cracks. Only democracy provides the framework for resolving these issues. Dictatorships may postpone the conflict, that's all.

Hitler should be lauded for turning a dying economy into a thriving one.

And then wrecking it again, and I'm not sure that its success was ever more than superficial. Hitler's approach required war and expansion to fuel the economy - war was built into the economy, if you like. Economic success has to be seen in this light.

Hitler did some good, sure, but that means nothing in light of everything else. I was just pointing out that to hold Hitler's economic successes against all the atrocities he committed was just unbelievable in my book. My main gripe was the example that Calax used: trying to balance Hitler's crimes against humanity with his good handling of the economy. I don't know if that is what he intended, but it seemed like it. Besides, why do you think Hitler revived the economy, anyway? It sure wasn't to feed the masses, that's for sure. I think it's fair to say more of that money went into Panzer tanks.

Agreed. The question, however, is: had Germany won WWII, would Hitler be regarded as a mass murderer or as a hero of the people?

 

Scary, indeed.

I wasn't trying to balance them. I was just trying to point out that here we generally try to demonize our opponent and "bleachout" any "good" whatsoever the person did... Or for those who are supposed to be "good" we try to bleach their actions to "good"

 

and in responce to Steve, We didn't get told about Dresden in history at all, or that much about the Japanese internment except that we paid them reperations for it. Only about what horrors the Japanese and the Germans inflicted upon the "natives"

I see what you're trying to say: that history must remember everyone fairly, pointing out their strengths as well as weaknesses, the pros and the cons, but my main gripe was that you used a terrible example. Not your best move.

I admit, I should have used stalin....

I wasn't trying to balance them. I was just trying to point out that here we generally try to demonize our opponent and "bleachout" any "good" whatsoever the person did... Or for those who are supposed to be "good" we try to bleach their actions to "good"

 

and in responce to Steve, We didn't get told about Dresden in history at all, or that much about the Japanese internment except that we paid them reperations for it. Only about what horrors the Japanese and the Germans inflicted upon the "natives"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't forget the 300,000 Commonwealth soldiers who died of starvation and disease in the Japanese Burma Railway deathcamps, whilst the Japanese soldiers ate their Red Cross packages.

I admit, I should have used stalin....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Stalin was the worst despot in our recorded history; he killed more Russians than Hitler in the Purges and Jewish Pogroms. You'd have to visit Ancient History to even find someone on par. Hitler didn't even want to start a war. (As per his last administrative statement, found with his personal will, written just before he committed suicide.)

 

And the Germans only picked a fight with the US because they knew if the war dragged on the US would join the others. (It was the flip of a coin in WW1, until the German spies were caught red-handed trying to incite the Mexican givernment to attack Texas in order to draw the US attention away from Europe.) "

Google never ceases to amaze me.

Google never ceases to amaze me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that Leopold II was an evil dude. Killed almost every single person in the "HIS Belgian Congo". No wonder Belgians are mocked in public ...

Google never ceases to amaze me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that Leopold II was an evil dude. Killed almost every single person in the "HIS Belgian Congo". No wonder Belgians are mocked in public ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

"Sounds like a stand-up chap to me."

I take Belgians very seriously for I like waffles.

What is it with the Dutch and cows, anyway?

 

Boy they love cows and cow products! Maybe that's the secret to knowing fifteen languages from birth, and growing up to be six-foot-five?

What is it with the Dutch and cows, anyway?

 

Boy they love cows and cow products! Maybe that's the secret to knowing fifteen languages from birth, and growing up to be six-foot-five?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They speak better English in Holland than they do in England or America.

Tell me about it. They speak Flemish, Spanish and German better than those guys, too.

 

It's milk, I tell ya! (w00t)

Bah.

 

Debamos hablar Espanol en todo el mundo.

Wow. That didn't take long to degenerate from my comment to Waffles... I think that's called reverse evolution

Wow. That didn't take long to degenerate from my comment to Waffles... I think that's called reverse evolution

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In the immortal words of Satan: "Tee hee!"

I was unaware that Satan said:tee hee

you make him sound like a school girl... And I don't like the image of a Giant Red demon in a japanese schoolgirl outfit.

You have to read the John Milton's "Paradise Lost: The Lost Chapters."

no, I'm not much for a classic... I like more conteporary Scifi or Fantasy

Oh, you rather read Gary Gygax's "How I Grok Spock and Got Away With It" then?

no, I'm not much for a classic... I like more conteporary Scifi or Fantasy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In other words, someone else reads the classic and re-interprets it for you in a setting with robots and elves.

no, I'm not much for a classic... I like more conteporary Scifi or Fantasy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In other words, someone else reads the classic and re-interprets it for you in a setting with robots and elves.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I got to tell you, not having read the 5 pages inbetween, I have no idea how a thread about 800+ people dead and 300+ people injured got to this point.

 

I love this board