[Congressman Billybob]

Quite the contrary. The American occupation of its zone in Germany involved about the same number of troops, the same civilian population, the same level of attacks on Americans and "collaborators," the same number of industrial/economic sabotage attacks, and about the same number of years to sort the whole mess out.

Other than that, I agree with you that there's no parallel between the de-Nazification of Germany and the de-Ba'athification of Iraq. After all the Iraqis don't speak German. Is that your point?

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "We Are Running for Congress -- Maybe," discussion thread on FR.

[Burkeman1]

There were zero to none combat deaths among the American troops who occupied Germany after WWII. Our troop presence there wasn't because we feared a reborn Germany but a Communist Russia. Please provide a list of casualties who died due to "guerilla attacks" in Germany after the formal close of battle? How many Americans died in the immediate months of our occupation due to Nazi die harder attacks?

[John Valentine]

Since when are disruptors bothered by facts?

[billbears]

Other than that, I agree with you that there's no parallel between the de-Nazification of Germany and the de-Ba'athification of Iraq. After all the Iraqis don't speak German. Is that your point?

Beside the fact that the Iraqis didn't do anything deserving invasion and the Germans did? No, not a difference at all.

The Germans had just engaged in an all out war that very well if they had won, would have changed the face of Europe immediately and presented a direct and present threat to these United States. Putting aside the fact that the atmosphere that allowed the rise of Hitler was created by Wilson, to occupy Germany could be argued was in defense of our nation of states. What were the Iraqis going to do, a year from now, five years from now, even ten years from now? Throw bags of beans at us from thousands of miles away? This all war, all the time is getting old. And the PNAC's holy quest to 'spread democracy' is not outlined in the Constitution. It may be in Irving's version, but not any version I've ever read. And not in any version you have either

[Peach]

For those who say there were very few combat deaths in post-war Germany, they are incorrect. A recent History Channel show talked with veterans who served there and they told of numerous killings of our soldiers by Hitler sympathizers. The last known death in Germany of one of our soldiers by a sympathizer to Hitler was 1949.

I've written the Library of Congress for an exact number but haven't received a reply yet. Based on the History Channel show I'd guess the number is several hundred, but that' s just a guess. It was obvious they were not talking about a dozen or so deaths, that's for sure.

[Fledermaus]

And the Iraqis didn't kill 6 million Jews.

[RightWhale]

there's no parallel between the de-Nazification of Germany and the de-Ba'athification of Iraq.

True, no doubt. Nazi-ism ended with the death of Hitler. There were no Nazis to be found after that. The joke was that all the Nazis were killed in the war. The Ba'ath Party is not so dependent on a single personality as Saddam, and so will probably live on, even if out of power and out of favor.