Pareto - Nice sentiments and some interesting thoughts...However, a lot of what you put out there is apples/oranges...Hitler and the environment that allowed him to come to power and rule with hate and anger was seeded directly by WW1, in which the Allies(Britain/US/France mostly) were so fatigued and horrified by this new modern warfare and it's horrible toll on mankind and life, decided that Germany, and Germany alone was going to bear the full brunt of the cost and economic post war pain. So that's what happened. They transacted such a tremendous price on Germany, that combined with the worldwide depression, left Germany in a much worse situation than the rest of the world...People were angry, filled with hate, and ripe for an outlet. Hitler, a monster, provided that outlet with an old tried and true strategy: "we are better and destined to rule the world.".....The biggest bestest call to action and mayhem ever. See: Napoleon.
Thus was created the Nazi state...We know the rest.
Lesson is not that capitalism created the Nazi state, nor did tobacco, or beer companies, or video games...rather it was revenge and anger by the victors, propelled by a world wide recession in large part exacerbated by failed US government policy that helped put in place an environment of repression, hate, and anger.
Have we learned our lessons?....I hope so, but I don't know and I have less faith.....Actually I no longer have any faith in government to do what's right - just what is politically expedient and popular, which is definitely not what Jefferson and Madison had in mind.
"We" created Saddam Husseain, Khadaffi, and especially the Ayatollah, because of shortsighted cold war policy......the fact that the cold war is over is not reason enough to say that we've learned our lesson and no longer look for short term retribution and power, without attempting to foresee the long term costs........The China bill passing does engender hope however. I'm guessing the only reason it passed though is not because of any oracle tendencies, but rather big business, fat and rich from the past 5 years, was able to fil the coffers more so than labor.
The Germans(any) that participated in the systematic murder of a whole group of people, no matter how small the part period, are and will always be to blame; and that country and her people must carry that weight forever as they should. No matter the circumstances one must not blame nor hate a group or indivudual simply for existing...on that note you are absolutely correct.
Next week: Stalin and the USSR industrialization at all costs, including any/all minorities and dissenters that "stood in the way"....stay tuned sports fans. |
