Memorial Day
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May
30
2012
..... pointless death of millions...........??????????
I guess you must be one of those Aryans who is sorry Hitler wasn't successful in eliminating certain groups. Too bad He wasn't able to take over the world because you are the master race and all others are to be exterminated. That would have led to WORLD PEACE!! Except for those exterminated, of course, but you would have been better off without them.
No, really you make me sick. I'm sorry I came to this forum. I have no more to say on this subject.
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May
30
2012
Inquisitor, I think Chris was referring to the death of millions caused by the pointless and inevitably thwarted megalomania of a crazy man. All deaths caused by crazy dictators are pointless, and very sad.
In modern days, wars have been started pointlessly, or with a dubious objective. The Iraq invasion was a Cheney/Halliburton inspired oil grab that had nothing to do with nuclear programs or catching terrorists. They sentenced thousands of brave soldiers to death, and their families to despair and anguish.
Never forget, Inquisitor. Never forget that it is politicians and megalomaniacs who start wars, and it is heroic citizens who are obligated to go fight their wars for them. I salute the soldiers, but I despise in equal measure the shareholder-driven invasions that are so callously forced upon the people.
My family has sent many of its young to fight those politician's battles, uncles, great-uncles, my father, and my grandfather among them - and all of them fought with honor. But let's be realistic about the forces that create wars, and their true "value" to mankind of their prosecution.
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May
31
2012
About WWII--I think that was the last war fought for "American freedom", because Hitler wanted to invade eventually, and the Japanese bombed the US military base in Hawaii, so who knows? Hitler had to be stopped, at any rate.
The rest of them since then? Seem more like pointless US meddling or our own plan for world domination. I don't know about the Korean War (let's stop calling it a "conflict"; I can't stand the stink of BS). But everyone kept telling me that US involvement in the Vietnam war was to bring Democracy to the world and prevent the spread of Communism. I really don't know why we got involved. Inquisitor, do you? I'm not being sarcastic; it wasn't history yet when I was in school so all I got was the worst kind of jingoism and "don't worry your pretty little head about it; the men are taking care of it".
And ever since, it's just gotten worse and worse. The only word I can use to describe the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is "obscene". We made up the premises to go to war in both countries. There was no need to bomb Afghanistan back to the Stone Age just to find one man. There was no need to go to war in Iraq, either--Saddam was compliant; none of the inspection teams found any weapons of mass destruction; it was just beyond disgusting how Bush Inc. twisted everything and bamboozled people into believing that BS. If we really wanted to take out Saddam Hussein, we could have done it with covert ops, like we'd been doing all over the world for decades; like we did to his predecessor when we put Saddam in power in the first place.
So I'm sad for the boys and girls and men and women who never came home from those wars, and I'm even sadder for the ones who did come home and have to live with PTSD and prosthetic limbs and the results of slipshod surgery done to fix them up and get them back into the battlefield. I'm sad for the ones who are gearing up for their third or fourth tour of duty. I'm sad for the ones who came back so damaged in body and soul that they killed themselves or their loved ones.
But I can't lend any validation to any of the wars that have happened in my lifetime.
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Jun
1
2012
Yes, that's important, no matter how strongly you feel on the subject, and how much you disagree with someone's point of view. Also preconceived ideas on the meaning of a member's comments are not a good idea. Asking Chris for clarification would have been a bit more civilized than a full frontal assault.
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Jun
1
2012
Sorry, Inquisitor, but your assaults make me sick. I think every kind of war is pointless, and shame that many people celebrate war as some kind of wonderful event. Yes, I think WW2, just like others were pointless, and caused the deaths of millions of innocent people. Hitler should have been killed, and that would have solved the problem.You don't have to agree, but that's your problem, fight your wars, if you prefer. I prefer peace. -
Jun
1
2012
Oh, Jesus, it hits me now. I was shocked at the first read, but thinking about what you said, Inquisitor, it makes me believe, you've got serious problems in your mind (sorry, admins, I know I shouldn't say that). I don't even understand how could you translate that I said to something completely different thing???If I want to misinterpret what you said the same way as you misinterpret my opinion, I would say, it looks like you deny the deaths of millions in the WWII. Seriously, it's the same kind of thing! Millions of people were killed in camps, millions were killed in the fights, millions were deported, robbed, raped, etc. But if I deliberately want to misinterpret what you wrote, I would say, you think they deserved it, because war is a good fun.But, unlike you, I don't want to be malicious. -
Jun
1
2012
One more thing. I've got friends from different backgrounds, different countries from all over the world, with different religions (despite I'm not even religious!), different habits, different political views, and different skin-colours. Next time check your next victim's profile somewhere before you assault him or her with racism. -
Jun
3
2012
Chris, you too--I realize Inquisitor's comments upset you, but make your comments less personal. I don't think Inquisitor was being malicious, just overly fervent.
In the US, Memorial Day is not a day to "celebrate" war. It is a solemn day to remember those US citizens who died in wars in the belief, mistaken or otherwise, that they were defending their country or standing up for someone else's country, and ultimately making the world a better place. I agree with you, Chris--wars are pointless wastes of human life, and are the most inefficient way possible to make the world a better place. But I do believe that sometimes, due to human nature, war becomes the only possible solution--as in WWII.
Just as Inquisitor knows people whose parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, or sisters died in war, I'm sure you, Chris, know someone whose family members or loved ones were lost in WWII or later. Both Hungary and England suffered casualties in WWII. I think Inquisitor felt that your comment minimized their sacrifice, and his grief. That's just a guess, though, because I think Inquisitor has left us.
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Jun
3
2012
Thanks for your comment, MrsT. Obviously I didn't mean to minimise their sacrifices, I meant it quite the opposite. Obviously I didn't live it through, but both of my parents did (my mum was born in 1940 and my father in 1935). My father lived in the countryside and they had to give everything to the state to feed the war. My mum lived in Budapest when the biggest bombings happened. She, with my grandma & greatgrandma were walking through dead bodies all over the street (and not only them of course), and being cold winters in those times, sometimes they couldn't see the corpses under the snow, and they nearly fell over the frozen and rigor-mortis-arms and other body parts. Once a hand-grenade was thrown by the Germans into their house, when they were in the basement, and they had to move out. They were removed to an emptied house once had been lived by Jewish people, and they could never return to their original house as while they were away, a bomb fell on it. And that house (where they originally lived) was at the centre-point of conflicts, from one side the Germans shot, from the other side the Russians.The air raids were audible sometimes every day, sometimes every second or third day. My maternal grandfather served in the army, and was a PoW for a couple of months. So was one of my paternal uncles (my paternal grandfather wasn't soldier, cos he had 8 kids). Fortunately, as far as I know, our close relatives survived, but even if my parents were children during the war, they've got vivid memories of many things - and of course my grandma told me a lot about it. And I heard similar stories from parents or grandparents from my English friends, too. So, yes, entire Europe suffered a lot, that is why I think all war is waste of life (and not only human life, but also horses, dogs, etc. sacrificed their lives). -
Jun
4
2012
Lets not forget the sacrifices of the Allies.
Other than old Thumb, I probably grew up closest in post war US. It was the earliest thing I remember outside of family. But, the US was more "joyous". We did not have physical destruction, just dead men and women. Most of our dogs and horses stayed home.
What I do remember are the constant stories, unrelenting pain, John Wayne movies and second hand cars because metal was given to the war effort. It was simply a constant in my childhood and adolescence. American gained power (blew it with Stalin) and war became a constant way to solve our problems as since the beginning of the world. I understand Chrissy and Inquisitor. Do not let it tear up old friendships. That is what wars do. War sucks!
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Jun
20
2012
I have an English great- great-uncle buried on a battlefield site in Europe. -
Jun
20
2012
He was in WWI. My mom's English second cousin died during Battle in WWII. He's buried in England. -
Jul
2
2012
In some cases, they're drafted, and if they resist, they go to prison for a long time. So they have a lot of motivation to go. Others join during peace time because they can't afford college, and the military will send you to college or train you in any number of useful professions. But if a war comes up, they have to go.
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