Possibly a dumb question

[Gorth]

Gotta agree with both Enoch and GD. Nationalism was on the rise all over Europe from the middle of the 19th century and culminating during the 1930's and the financial crisis,

 

I cannot possibly agree with that assertion. If anything the 1920s were about forging the foundations of intellectualism, anti-patriotic fervour and pacifism.

 

Anti-patriotic fervour? No. Politically, the first half of the 20th century in Europe, including the 1920s, was all about ultra-nationalistic fervour. That tendency was only reversed by the massive carnage that Europe saw in WWII, which eventually led to relatively peaceful, non aggressive political stances all over Europe.

 

I hardly think so. The First world war saw the death of all that, even before the end. Indeed part of the reason why the start of WW2 saw France, Belgium _and Britain_ running from combat with soldiers all over the place was because many had grown up with no real sense of patriotism. IMO.

If anything, WWI replaced nationalism with extremist nationalism. Or would you call the pre-WWII governments of Spain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Turkey etc. for intellectual, anti-patriotic goverments?

[Wrath of Dagon]

Amazingly enough, there were competing movements at the time.

[Guest The Architect]

If we all owe money in our national budgets then WHO THE FETH DO WE OWE IT TO?

 

You owe it to me.

[Asol]

If we all owe money in our national budgets then WHO THE FETH DO WE OWE IT TO?

 

You owe it to me.

 

Buying gilts when i have this lovely bridge for sale?

.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Asol

[Walsingham]

If we all owe money in our national budgets then WHO THE FETH DO WE OWE IT TO?

 

You owe it to me.

 

Finally. Can we toss a coin: Double or quits?

 

 

OK, good point about those countries. But surely Spain and Italy were evidence of - as has been said by Wrath - competing movements. Certainly I'd say Spain was. Which is hardly surprising, since Spain didn't participate in WW1 beside making pots of cash. Poland, Turkey, and - to an extent - Germany were brand new nations. It would be a pretty weird nation which couldn't muster patriotism at the outset. Even Iraq is managing it.

 

So if I can change my thesis slightly what I am going to say is that the war arose from two opposed blocs. One intended peace at any price, and the other was willing to go to war for the sheer joy of it. That was never going to end well.

[Humodour]

So if I can change my thesis slightly what I am going to say is that the war arose from two opposed blocs. One intended peace at any price, and the other was willing to go to war for the sheer joy of it. That was never going to end well.

 

That's more than a 'slight' change of thesis!

[Walsingham]

So if I can change my thesis slightly what I am going to say is that the war arose from two opposed blocs. One intended peace at any price, and the other was willing to go to war for the sheer joy of it. That was never going to end well.

 

That's more than a 'slight' change of thesis!

 

:)