OMG teh Natzis!11

[Warren]

You can get Mein Kampft at Barnes & Nobles here...I read some of it, if you actually read it, Hitler is a nutjob, everything he says contradicts everything else he says, and he rants on about how he thinks all Australians should die. Australians?!?!

I don't think history classes shouldn't NOT teach WWII, it was pretty important...but the catch 22 is that it makes Germany look terrible in the eyes of the world no matter how much they've changed since then. I'm Jewish, had family members killed in Auschwitz, yet I'm taking German right now and hope to work in Germany. I know many Germans and they've all been extremely nice and tolerant. 80% of anti-Semetic attacks and vandelism is commited by immigrant unemployed Arab men in their 20s, and the government is extremely pissed about this because Germany has done so much to curb the stereotype of the German people and then people from outside the country come in and do exactly what the government doesn't want to happen. Also, the way I see it is, the actions of WWII could happen in ANY country and HAS happened in MANY other countries, so it's wrong to single out Germany. France with the crusades, Spain with the Inquisition, Russia with the pograms, England with the firing on boats bound to Israel in 1948, the US had discrimination during the Red Scare (my grandfather wasn't allowed in the country and moved to Canada, the real land of the free! ). Half my family is from Austria, and they're essentially Little Germany, and Yiddish is extremely similar to German. My grandfather who fought in WWII in Europe never disliked Germans, he would always say that that could happen anywhere. Well, I'm starting to rant and I have an appointment to go to, auf Wiedersehen!

[Caesar]

It's not like all German's during WWII were like, "Kill all teh Jewz0rs, RAWR!" The German people are not evil, and never have been evil. Hitler was a nutjob, as warren said, and a few other key figures - they were to blame, not the German people who were just fighting for their country and feeling pride in their country after they had been stripped of everything because of the Treaty of Versaille. Those Germans were not unlike Americans, or British, or Italians - they were doing their jobs.

I agree that the past is the past. I feel the same type of thing as you do suchiaruzu - We white Americans are still blamed and guilted about slavery. I didn't own any slaves, neither did my parents, nor my grandparents. In fact, my grandparents were still in Germany then. Don't blame me for what I didn't do.

Besides, the allies can't be all high and mighty anyway. The Allies committed war-crimes too, maybe not like the Nazis, but still horrible things. Rape and random executions of German civilians by the Russians, rape and stealing by the Americans and British - and in North Africa New Zealand troops massacred surrendering German wounded and medical staff.

[David Horn]

A TV show here at the moment is doing a very good job of showing that a fair proportion of Germans knew exactly what they were doing to the Jews etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/genocide/index.shtml

[sandmann]

[David Horn]

My history lessons concentrated on the buildup to WW2, and the causes. They then skipped the war itself and went on to the aftermath, continuing up to modern day. Covered stuff like the Cold War, Berlin wall, etc, etc.

I would estimate roughly half the time was spent on Germany and the causes of WW2 (a key part of that was pointing out how the UK was partly responsible for it) and Soviet Russia. (Fall of Romanovs, rise of Communism, Stalin et al.)

[sponge]

[sandmann]

[RICoder]

I TAKE THIS BACK -> [Kudos to Sandmann...I was going to bring up the whole slavery thing.]

I'm not too big a fan of Germany these days because it has become as much a liberal-socialist-euro nation lately, but I understand the pain. Nazis=bad, Germany and many Germans during WWII=bad...we all get it, but its time to move on. You cannot possibly equate Germany today (or Germans today) with Nazis with any degree of seriousness.

DISCLAIMER: I don't dislike Germans, or specifically the German government. I do however dislike their actions vis a vis the UN and Iraq. Even at that, their government is in the top 3 in Europe in my book.

[Caesar]

[sponge]

[suchiaruzu]

[David Horn]

[sandmann]

[RICoder]

I TAKE THIS BACK -> [Kudos to Sandmann...I was going to bring up the whole slavery thing.]

I misread your original post. MY feeling on it is quite the contrary.

YES, SLAVERY WAS/IS BAD. For my part, my family wasn't even in America yet. For the the proponderance of black-america, neither were theirs.

The bottom line is, "its over, move on"...Seriously, teach about it in school, and forever stamp it as a horrible evil, but fucking move on. From the streets to the NFL you can always find someone crying racism (i.e. Colts coach). Its sort of annoying to hear, especially if you are a person who is not racist.

Also, in the case of racism, let us all look at history and recall that slavery existed in EUROPE AND AFRICA, for THOUSANDS ON YEARS before the U.S. get involved. Additionally, note that the U.S. whiped it out in the FIRST 100 YEARS of its existence, not a bad record in comparrison to the rest of the planet. Not that I would ever expect anyone to give any credit to any of the good deads done in or by this country.

oh...and teh nazis!!11!1 suck

[AndreyK]