Why Germany never can escape it's past...

[Klaus]

Have a look at this:
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/inte...345720,00.html

What do you think?

[Jim O]

Very interesting article.

Like citizens of most nations that were involved in that war, every family has/had war stories. In the case of Germany and USSR a large percentage of families had someone killed or seriously wounded. But "never" is a long time and memories are short...

[Ingsoc]

A very intresting article and an excellent topic, Klaus.

I think since most people in the countries that suffered by the German (i.e Netherland, Britain) know someone who was in the war there would always be a certain negative attidute towards Germans, sure not like the 50es but the negative feeling still exist, perhaps in 100 years time from now, when not alot people that knew somebody from WW2 would be left the issue will be seen from a more historic view than personal one.

The German as victims? in a sence the average German were (althought not like the people that the Nazis presecuted), I'm talking about some poor private who were sent to die in the hell of the Russian front supposly in defence of Germany, I see no problem in Germans remembering their deaths (after all if you can't mourn your own blood, how would you could be expect to mourn other?) as long as it's will not become a nationalist thing (like "look what the evil allied done to us" etc.) and there would remember that Germany was the aggresor.

German celebrating their defeat in WW2? honestly I don't familiar enought with the modern German society to answer if it's a good thing, I guess with their is a larg aggrement about this then it's should be atleast mentioned as a happy occasion, personly if I were the Bundeskanzler I wouldn't do it if it would cause conteversy.

[Phidippides]

The Germans did suffer after the war. I remember hearing of the awful story of the rape of a German woman by the Soviets when they came...simply disturbing. Obviously, they all suffered to a degree by the war after '44, and then after the war as well. That said, how much did the average German citizen support the Nazis in their rise to power? Who was it that helped bring Hitler along his way by 1933? I don't have the answers, but I imagine that people must have remained silent when they should have spoken, and supported when they should have recognized the monstrocity that was brewing. It's a lesson to us about political responsibility in modern times.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

Jim, the neo nazi dressing up as Hitler in the pic, trying to do reenactment, he looks a bit...

but, this article is not surpirsing considering the left wing political correctness prevailing over Germany now. Frankly, it would be strange for Germany to celebrate it's defeats, considering that it meant many more Germans died because of it in the Soviet zone, etc, through rape and the well known Bolshevik atrocities. It also means celebrating the victory of the Soviet enemy that raped 2 million German women.

but thanks Ingsoc, good points there as well, I agree with most of them.

Kevin

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Helmut Von Moltke

Jim, the neo nazi dressing up as Hitler in the pic, trying to do reenactment, he looks a bit...

Ummm...no. It's from a neo-Nazi rally not a re-enactment. Good try though.

[Klaus]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc

German celebrating their defeat in WW2? honestly I don't familiar enought with the modern German society to answer if it's a good thing, I guess with their is a larg aggrement about this then it's should be atleast mentioned as a happy occasion, personly if I were the Bundeskanzler I wouldn't do it if it would cause conteversy.

I'm with you. It is a difference if you honour somebody or glorify him. Thin line.

[Ingsoc]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Ummm...no. It's from a neo-Nazi rally not a re-enactment. Good try though.

Is that a Japanese imperial navy flag behind him?

[Klaus]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc

Is that a Japanese imperial navy flag behind him?

Thats what I thought too. It looks just like the japanese flag. But it wouldn't make any sense, would it?

[Jim O]

I was wondering too, but I think the stripes are a bit off.