WWI vs WWII

by Euphemism 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  Euphemism

  And now, for a topic that has absolutely nothing to do with Jehovah's Witnesses! (Or with contemporary politics.)

  I was listening to Regie Hamm's album American Dreams tonight (which I highly recommend), and I was struck by a line from the song Old Man. Speaking to a WWII veteran, Hamm sings:

  It seems as though you always knew your place

  And it's true... WWII was followed, in the United States, by a period of unprecedented social and economic stability.

  WWI gave us the term "shell shock", the roaring twenties, the "lost generation". WWII gave us white picket fences and the GI bill. So why the difference?

  Personally, I have no clue. Any ideas?
• 

  Flash

  WWI gave us the term "shell shock", the roaring twenties, "lost generation". the WWII gave us white picket fences and the GI bill. So why the difference?

  Personally, I have no clue. Any ideas?

  IMO, WWI/1914 were a turning point in human history. After the 'GREAT WAR, The War To End ALL War' ended people were stressed in a way they never had been. Healing was needed and it took different forms. By WWII the people had adapted to the NEW era and even up to today's crisises, take it all in stride...'they take no note.'
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  Farkel

  : WWI gave us the term "shell shock", the roaring twenties, the "lost generation". WWII gave us white picket fences and the GI bill. So why the difference?
  

  The climate before and during WWI was one of passivism in the USA. We only fought in the last year of that War, (1917-1918)

  The USA developed a MAJOR feeling passivism when Hitler started his stuff: Poland, Austria.

  When our own shores were attacked by the [deleted], this all changed. As a Country we realized that our way of life was or could be jeopardized by those invaders. We mobilized nearly everyone and we beat those bastards. The [deleted], er "Japanese" now have the best way of life they've ever had, and the Germans now have the best way of life they've ever had. All because of the sacrifices of the "Greatest Generation." Let us celebrate them (like my dead father who fought for nearly 4 years in WWII) this weekend, folks. There are four THOUSAND gold stars in a wall in that memorial: each star represents 100 US soldiers who died to win that war. That translates into 400,000 Americans who died to preserve our freedoms in that War.

  Simon: you who love to hate us, "Class": we (and your people) fought and died in that WAR to preserve YOUR way of life, too. I have several friends who were there when Britain was bombed by the Germans in circa 1940. They all love the USA for being their when Britain needed help. Too bad you don't possibly know history, or are too stubborn to remember the long term relationship our country has had with yours.

  You young pups should learn from this part of our history. You are HERE and FREE because of it.

  Farkel
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  Englishman

  Simon: you who love to hate us, "Class": we (and your people) fought and died in that WAR to preserve YOUR way of life, too. I have several friends who were there when Britain was bombed by the Germans in circa 1940. They all love the USA for being their when Britain needed help.

  Most Brits do regard the USA as a special friend.

  The problem at the moment is that half of our population feel that the Iraq business is non of our/your business. This half for, half against, situation is causing great divisions here, the USA is just catching much of the flak in the process.

  Half of us are cheering away when Blair sends more troops to Iraq, half are cursing the USA for talking us into it.

  I believe that Blair is doing the right thing in hugging Bush real close and bringing his influence to bear upon the Alliance - Iraq hand-over of power.

  I also am proud that the Brits were in like a shot to do their bit the second that the 9/ll saga occured.

  Englishman.
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  NewSense

  To Simon and the other moderators:
  

  I can understand why a previous posting of mine was deleted. What I cannot understand is the selective nature of this deleting process. In other words, why are certain people allowed to post hate-filled tripe? Farkel's garbage violates that first three guidelines for posting. By using the heinous term[deleted] he is violating guideline number one prohibiting insulting speech. Japanese people find the term [deleted] highly insulting. Farkel is also inciting hatred based on both nationality and race. And, he is using hate-speech. So, the question is - will his posting be deleted?

  Farkel' s comment that the U.S. was following a pacifist track prior to WWII is truly ludicrous; the United States has never been a pacifist nation. Rather, prior to WWII, the U.S. was an *isolationist* nation, content with invading only Mexico - a much weaker nation that U.S. regarded as an easy target. Most historians agree that many lives would have been spared if the U.S. had entered the fray of WW II earlier. One reason the U.S. hesitated was due to the enormous amount of pro-German (and even pro-Nazi) sentiment in the U.S. at that time. Many Americans' ancestors were from Germany. Many Americans are of German heritage.

  And, then Farkel has the supreme gall to lecture Simon in an arrogant, condescending tone. I, for one, am certain that Simon knows a hell of a lot more about WWII than Farkel. Farkel's "logic" is really the opposite of logic in that he attempts to establish a connection between two things that have absolutely no connection with each other. There is no reason in hell why Britsh people today owe the U.S. any support whatsoever in its immoral and illegal occupation of a sovereign nation. The invasion of Iraq was in direct and total violation of international law. WWII is history; the fascist occupation of Iraq is an on-going issue.

  In any case, I'm sick and tired of seeing hate-speech - especially such speech directed at Moslems and Arabs (not all Moslems are Arabs, and not all Arabs are are Moslems). And I know that there are Asian-Americans posting on this board. So, even though I know that my appeal will be in vain, I ask that Farkel's hateful posting be at least edited and that he be made to apologize. And by the way, the U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor by the military forces of the Empire of Japan - not [deleted]
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  stillajwexelder

  It is the middle of the night and I can not sleep - normally I would spout my right wing conservatism - but let me just say I am glad that USA and GB are friends - and yes when politics rsies its ugly head, passions run high and hate filled speech abounds. WW1 and WW2 were fought for precious freedoms. I repeat what I have previously said on this board - IF THE USA BECOMES TRULY ISOLATIONIST - WATCH OUT THE REST OF THE WORLD
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  Realist

  farkel,

  what you state is a very one sided view and a great oversimplification of the situation. WWII was not really about freedom and democracy but about economical issues.
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  blondie

  I am not going to look at this from a historian's viewpoint, just my grandmother's.

  She said that up until then, life seemed to be improving, scientifically, materially, politically. Peace seemed to be a close reality. The war was a shock to people; many young men lost their lives or came back maimed. Hope was broken. Her generation could not see that future that seemed within reach up until 1914. Many of us underestimate the effect of the Spanish flu on the world population psychologically. My grandmother lost a child and 10 other relatives to that disease. More people died from the flu than the war. While major war seemed to have vanished, it wasn't gone. Some of the wars between 1918 and 1939 Armed Conflicts 1918-1939

  Finnish civil war	1917-18	Finns with German support vs. Russians
  Russian Civil War (Bolshevist vs. White Factions)	1918-24 1920-22	Caucasus Far East
  Arabian civil war	1919-26	Saudis vs. Hashemites
  Baltic wars	1919-20	Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania vs. Soviet Union incl. Allied, German and Freecorps
  Polish-Russian war	1920
  Greek/Turkish War	1920-23
  Irish civil war	1921-23	Anti-Treaty (DeValera) vs. Free State (Collins)
  Nicaraguan Civil War	1925-32	Sandinista vs. Government, US intervention
  Chinese Civil War (I)	1926-28	Nationalist (Kai-shek) vs. local Warlords
  Chinese/Japanese War (I)	1931-32	Manchuko
  Chaco War	1932-35	Bolivia vs. Paraguay
  Chinese Civil War (II)	1934-35	Kai-shek vs. Langsi Soviets (Mao) - Long March
  Ethiopia	1935-36	Abyssinia vs. Italy
  Spanish Civil War	1936-39	Nationalist vs. Republicans
  Chinese/Japanese War (II)	1937-45	The Japanese occupation

  So many people reacted with the "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die" philosophy. Not my grandmother; she had four other children to raise and so she did. She felt her children were her future.

  Blondie ( I learned more about "history" from my grandparents than from a book)
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  Undaunted Danny

  DANNY'S LAUNDROMAT;

  Customer, Watchtower dirty linen;

  Watchtower's WW1 attributions.The watchtower's conceited claim, that all the horrendous atrocities of that period were due to 'Satan's instigation' in order to"get" the Russelite followers.

  Watchtower's WW2 same attribution I was brainwashed as a good little dubbie,that the ONLY reason there was a WW2 at all!! Was so that Satan the devil now confined to the vicinity of the earth,could "get at" the Watchtower followers and the 'anointed remnant'.

  That's it folks,the history of the world according to the Watchtower.Brought to you by Danny's suds and duds get's the crud.

  http://www.lawfulmoney.com/nlm/_discjw/00000003.htm
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  Big Tex

  other words, why are certain people allowed to post hate-filled tripe?

  Beleive it or not, moderators do not read every single post on every single thread on this board. In all candor I doubt I read 10% of the threads here, not because I'm being selective but because I work, have a familyl and a life in the real world. I think the same can be said for other moderators.

  However just out of curiousity I picked at random a recent post of yours and found this gem:

  you have proven that you are nothing but a stupid, ignorant c***.

  Followed by this:

  But I know that you are incapable of grasping - what for you must be - such an arcane notion because you're a shameless father-f***ing piece of trash.

  Perhaps if you are genuinely "sick and tired" of seeing hate speech here, or seeing others engaging in personal attacks, you should look in the mirror and stop doing it yourself.