Re: memories.e18

Manny Karbelnig (aj667@lafn.org)
Thu, 25 Jan 1996 14:34:20 -0800 

Don: Read your reply and felt you were overly critical. After WW1, our
nation lacked the foresight to look into the history books. The German
people are the German people, continue to be war-like, believe they are
"oberleute", or in English, a superior people. If you stop to think of
it, the Marshall Plan was ingenius in rehabilitating Europe, but the
help they gave the Germans was counter-productive, allowing them to
rebuild their war machine and prepare for the next conflict. Consider and
ask yourself, where did Hassam Hussein get the poison gas?? Who continuies
to ferment conflict in the Middle East?? After all, you can't change the
stripes on a Zebra, or take War-Making out of the German-Nazi psyche.
After WWII we made two serious mistakes. Why test Atomic weapons in the
American desert, why have the Russians test in Siberia, the French in
the lovely Pacific Islands. There is ideal atomic testing ground in
Berlin, Frankfort, Stuttgard, Munich, etc.
The second, probably fatal mistake was allowing the Germans-Nazis to
unite. The only good thing the Russians ever did was to keep the Germans-
Nazis under their thumb.
Alas, as one historian wrote recently "The only thing mankind ever learned
from history is that mankind has NEVER learned from history".
I hope my children and grandchildren are spared in the next conflict. I
spent 46 months in WWII, most of it in combat, and I hope my family, and
other American families, are spared this horror.
Think it over, my friend, and learn who is your enemy.









>
>Greetings to all:
>
>As one of the "lurkers" on this forum, I eagerly await responses
>to Mr. Zvonko Springer's fine piece of history.  It puts the Second World
>War into perspective.  Every sentence is packed with meaning and could be
>used as a basis for furthur investigation.  For example, he speaks of
>"circumstances" in the 1920s and 1930s.  You might discover that one
>of the cirmcunstances was excessive reparations demanded of a defeated
>and broken people after the First World War.  Mr. Springer speaks
>of lack of "farsightedness."  I have read that certain Western
>"leaders" thought they might be able to "use" Hitler to help restore
>order in Germany, where living and economic conditions were awful.
>Is it surprising that such lack of farsightedness provided an
>ideal opportunity for someone who promised people renewed self-respect?
>As we see, the result was the incredible slaughter of millions.
>
>You could compare the treatment of the defeated German people after WWI
>with the way the United States treated Western Europe after WWII.
>We had something called the Marshall Plan whereby the people of the USA
>gave aid and dollars to help rebuild Western Europe.
>The Marshall Plan is nearly forgotten now, but it helped the people
>of Europe.
>
>As Mr. Zvonko Springer indicated, you might want to read some more
>history books.  As I indicated previously on this forum, I like
>one by John Keegan which starts by assessing the causes of the
>First World War, which many say led to the Second World War.
>Or were they really two parts of the same war?
>
>I was born a few years later than Zvonko Springer and I, too,
>wrote some memoirs of my half of the "Long Weekend" and the
>war.  ("The Long Weekend" is the name of a book by a man named
>Graves about life in Britain between the wars.  The implication
>of course, is WWI and WWII were parts of the same war.)
>
>My memory is that people were too busy during the first half of
>the 20th century to worry much about "feelings."  Our principal
>business as children was to get educated: learn a little English
>grammer, math, composition, history, etc.  We had plenty of good
>times, too.  We didn't get much of the fine history that you read
>in Zvonko Springer's note, unfortunatley.  I do remember a story
>book I had (maybe in the 4th grade) about life in Europe.  People
>would disappear.  You would go to school and one of your classmates
>would be missing.  It turned out the child's house was empty.  So
>we knew something was going on.  I was too young for military
>service and my dad was too old, but we moved from one region to
>another because my dad had an opportunity to do "war" work.
>
>I enjoyed Mr. Zvonko Springer's message immensely.  I hope it
>leads to more questions from members of this listserv.  I am
>NOT trying to speak for Mr. Zvonko Springer.  I am NOT trying
>to "put words in HIS mouth."  I am merely tossing in MY "two
>cents worth."  If anyone cares to challenge my facts or opinions
>regarding causes and effects of the war, you are more than welcome.
>
>All my very best,
>Don Giddings
>U.S.A.
>
>

--
MannyK/usr/local/67/aj667.Merlin
May the rest of your life be like the best of your life before today.
x
m