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To: shhrubbery!

Sure. The allied forces bombed the railways outside of cities and even trains to cut off supply ways, because they had the air supremacy. Dresden was a crime against humanity, organized by "Bomber Harris" who took personal revenge. This is not to be excused by the crimes of the Nazis, which nobody wants to justify.

Fact is, that Germany has apologized for its historical wrongs, and that no other country on earth has done so much to pay back the damage done to its victims. They´re building a football-field large memorial in the center of Berlin to honor the killed Jews in Europe during the Nazi era.

Fact is, too, that other countries have ignored their wrongs committed during WWII or justified those as heroic acts. Just because they were fighting for the good side, does that not mean that all were good. I think of the killing of German soldiers who have surrendered. Those boys were drafted just like the US Army soldiers who killed them.


73 posted on 10/29/2004 8:49:12 AM PDT by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus
Thanks for your reply. I don't know enough about military logistics or technology during WWII to comment intelligently about the technicalities of that debate.

However, I can say intelligently that when I travelled throughout western Europe 30 years ago, I found the Germans to be by far the friendliest and kindest people, to Americans, in Europe. (I'm comparing them here especially to the Dutch, who were snotty and condescending to me when they found out I was American; and the French, who of course are execrable. Even some Brits were pretty nasty to me simply because I was American.)

I lived in Berlin (working as an American for the British armed forces!), and fondly remember the many instances of kindness and generosity Germans showed toward me, an American stranger.

Emotions still run high, understandably, about the crimes of the Nazis. "Our side," the Allies, were indisputably on the right side -- but I agree with you, I believe Britain committed a crime against humanity in the bombing of Dresden (and the Soviets also committed terrible crimes). Our socialist enemies today, both within America and without, use Dresden as a stick to beat us. That rankles, and that probably clouds the judgment of some who are otherwise well meaning.

But I hope that anyone here who still rants about the "Krauts" reads the editorial from Bild posted at #59:

EUROPE'S BIGGEST NEWSPAPER ENDORSES BUSH (GERMAN TABLOID PAPER CALLED BILD)

77 posted on 10/29/2004 9:30:18 AM PDT by shhrubbery!
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To: Michael81Dus
"I think of the killing of German soldiers who have surrendered. Those boys were drafted just like the US Army soldiers who killed them."

Here you may find something interesting about it. Translation isn't excellent, but anyway enough good to read it.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23038&highlight=warsaw+uprising
87 posted on 10/30/2004 3:00:38 AM PDT by Grzegorz 246
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