Posted on 05/08/2015 2:15:20 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Spectacle Blog
THOUGHTS ON THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAYBy Aaron Goldstein on 5.8.15 | 1:18PMSmallerLargerPrint Article Seventy years ago today, the Nazis surrendered to the Allies in Berlin ending Hitler's 1,000 year reign at twelve. But in those 12 years, the Nazis caused a millenium of misery.
I had the good fortune of being in London during the 50th anniversary of VE Day celebrations which were held at Hyde Park. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. There must have been 2 million people there. There was an enormous crowd yet I didn't feel overwhelmed by it. I had a feeling of liberation, joy, gratitude and merriment.
SNIP
Good triumphed over evil 70 years ago today. But all such triumphs are temporary. Evil never vanishes. The same can be said for good, but it takes time for good to stand up to evil. Although we have experienced our share of economic problems, we have also enjoyed the kind of prosperity and comfort which couldn't have been imagined 70 years ago. We are reluctant to sacrifice even relative prosperity and comfort in the face of evil. It is easier for us to pretend it isn't there.
Eventually there will come a time when this evil cannot be ignored. But when we arrive at that state we could find ourselves on our knees. This isn't to say we can't get back up. But in order to get back up, we will be continually be knocked down with the objective of breaking our will. If that will is broken then so is Western civilization.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
“All Glory is Fleeting” - Patton
Where’s Barry?
It’s amazing what the USA did in 4.5 years to delete two evil world powers.
Now we can’t even build a new highway interchange in that same amount of time.
I mourn for the idiocy that prevents us from learning the lessons of those dark hours, and I rage at our apparent willingness to let their shadows fall on us again.
But I fear for the likelihood that the generation that delivered us from that tyranny is gone forever, and that we are its unworthy heirs.
It is amazing. Sad that we were also helping a third evil world power.
Sadly I concur. While our men and women in uniform today do an outstanding job, despite being hamstrung by this asshole of a president the difference in the mores and values of that generation over seventy years ago and the present one are as vast and distant as the distance from Earth to Pluto.
The AHT channel is one I’ve discovered recently. They’re running lots of shows about WWII. Those men (and women, here and there) had grit.
Even more amazing that the arsenal of democracy was created from scratch. Darn near every war equipment production line was super fast-tracked from concept to work flows that were unprecedented and, I suspect, unmatched to this day. The sheer volume was staggering.
Find Dr. Frankenstein and have him resurrect every one of the “Greatest Generation”. After informing them on the true State of our Union, locate them around DC and watch what happens. Talk about a popcorn fun time.
My parents met on VE day. My mother was then a Marine, and my father was an Army replacement rifle platoon lieutenant about to ship out for the Pacific. He served in the 96th Division on Okinawa, survived and was the executive officer of its divisional reconnaissance company preparing for the invasion of Japan when Hiroshima was nuked.
http://www.amazon.com/How-America-Saved-World-Preparedness/dp/0760335117/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431122707&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Forge-Decline-Rebirth-American-Military-ebook/dp/B005POOFAW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431122915&sr=1-1
I recommend it.
Thanks for the tip Thud.
Sometime back I caught most of a John Batchelor author/book talk on the subject but neglected to write down the name and title.
Found this clip at YouTube; it contains part of CBS Radio’s coverage of VE Day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh8M6CEh5Jk
The clip isn’t complete; at the point the tape begins, the announcer indicates they have already heard from one of our field commanders in Europe, and more will follow.
Some of the best commentary is from Charles Collingwood, who was reporting from Paris. He accurately describes the transformation the U.S. went through in leading the effort to defeat the Axis powers, and the feelings of our troops (and average Americans) at the end of the war in Europe.
The tape does not contain CBS’s most famous blooper from the VE Day broadcast. Douglas Edwards, who had anchored coverage from New York for much of the war, was finally sent overseas in the last months of the conflict. He was co-anchoring with Edward R Murrow and at one point, noted the mood of the assembled crowd on this “VD Day in Europe.” Murrow was rolling on the floor in laughter and it took Edwards a few moments to recover.
Thanks Uncle Bill, Uncle John, Uncle Junie. Thanks to all who served. R.I.P.
“WAR IS OVER” New York Times Banner Headline 05/08/1945
With thanks to Homer J. Simpson
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