Terezin

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 06 Apr 2000 00:22:19 Jan Barendrecht wrote:

>Apparently there are different versions of history. After WW

>I, Germany was humiliated to a great extent, it had to pay

>very large sums to pay for all damages and this badly affected

>the lives of all Germans, in a way creating the condition

>Hitler would exploit to start his atrocities.

 

Also, similar conditions existed in other

countries as well in

Europe, there was a high degree of

poverty and a lot of tension

b/n the different political groups, particularly

the left and right but also b/n the radical

left (communists)

and moderate left (social democrats)

and the radical

right (national socialists)

and moderate right (conservatives).

The time was one of political and economical

unrest, not the least due to the "threat"

of communist take over after the revolution in

Russia during the first decade of the century.

 

The history of the 20th century is some of

the most complex but also the most

rewarding subjects of human history to try

and get an understanding of and also to

reflect over.

 

Another point

>was that in the eyes of the British, in technology Germany was

>becoming an undeniable competitor, despite the economic

>measures against Germany. So even without the man called

>Hitler, another man would have exploited the same condition

>that Hitler did.

 

I agree with this view.

There seems to have been a lot of demagogues

leaning towards fascism and the extreme right

in the 20s and 30s not only in Germany but also

in England and Italy to mention a few.

Sooner or later, some of them must have gotten

it right.

Some ppl consider this apologist history,

I don't know about that.

>After WW II, regarding Germany these mistakes weren't

>repeated. This is evident in German policy, contrary to for

>instance Japan, a country that hasn't even publicly apologized

>for the atrocities committed during WW II, let alone pay for

>inflicted damages... And in Japanese schoolbooks of history,

>nothing is mentioned about Japanese barbarities.

 

Knowing a few facts of Japanese personal life,

it is easy to see that it is

extremely difficult for Japan as a Nation

to admit the mistakes of the past.

It is deeply embedded in the culture that

an admittance will be a great loss for the

collected ego of the state and the people.

I doubt there will be any great admittances

from Japan in the future... so one must try and

not bear too many grudges in this direction.

 

However, as you say, the result of this is

a great number of young

Japanese thus knows very little of the close

past and has no relation to it, as is the

case for generations in the Western world

as well.

The fact that a thing such as the Holocaust must

consciosuly be remembered also indicates this.

However, I have big difficulties in swallowing a

knee jerk reaction to the history behind

WW2. The whys and wherefores of the rise of

the national socialist state is a highly

complex issue. To say that "it could never

have happened here" or "I would never have

done such a thing" is a grave mistake

indeed.

Understanding how this could happen in the

Self, in the body of Shiva, is very difficult

indeed.

Let me also suggest that the national socialist

state bears many resemblances of other

states in the more distant past,

for example the Spartan state of ancient

Greece.

Our disgust for it is enhanced by its close-

ness in time as well as its closeness to our

own present day world.

 

Just a few musings at the end of the day.

 

Love,

 

Amanda.

 

 

 

 

 

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