The misbegotten waif thread a/k/a The Fray V2

[Scott DeWar]

My two coppers:
Germany was getting ready to sign a deal with mexico and Mexico was to keep what they took.

 

[Walking Dad]

My take:

Bad people do bad things.

Bad people that come to powerful position can do proportionally worse.

I was myself never at WW2, so I cannot say with certainty what really happened. But I think I'm glad I'm not currently living in a dictatorship. But this is maybe just me

And I hate generalizations.

 

[HolyMan]

Darn I still can't XP WD

Will you take my I.O.U.

HM

 

[Rhun]

This is funny, because Germany actually declared war on us after we declared war on Japan, and we were completely un-prepared for war before pearl harbor, when everyone and their brother signed up for the Army to go fight the Japanese, then we out-produced 'em

True, but not exactly as simple as you make it sound. In September 1940, the Tripartite Pact united Japan, Italy and Germany to formalize the Axis Powers. It stipulated that any country not in the war (with the exception of the Soviet Union) that attacked any Axis Power would be forced to go to war against all three. This was before Pearl Harbor. (Although The US and Germany were actually fighting naval battles at this time, since the US had began to supply naval escort to British conveys, even though the US remained officially neutral).

When Japan invaded Indochina, the US responded by freezing all Japanese funds and putting an embargo on oil (we were the main supplier of oil to Japan at the time). Japan then attack Pearl Harbor and other Pacific assets. In response to that, the US declared war on Japan, which meant Germany and Italy had to declare war on the United States as was stipulated in the Tripartite Pact signed over a year before.

Although Hitler was very good at telling people what they wanted to hear, Germany got royally screwed over with the treaty of Versailles and had a messed up economy, Hitler told the people "We can be great again, I will fix the economy and Germany will once again become a great world power like it was" Hitler had an amazing amount of power over people and was very charismatic, and became the ('33 I think it was) Time magazine man of the year, he just used his abilities for bad.

Hitler most certainly took advantage of the fact that Germany had a horrible economy and was going through a depression. And was certainly charismatic (is that an 18 CHA?). But still, it was the people of Germany that allowed him to take power. People have a tendency to let their governments run amok. This is something I personally have lots of interest in...nothing drives me nuts more than the people that know everything about entertainment news, but don't know one thing about what is going on with their governments or even how their government is supposed to operate.

 

[Rhun]

My take:

Bad people do bad things.

Bad people that come to powerful position can do proportionally worse.

I was myself never at WW2, so I cannot say with certainty what really happened. But I think I'm glad I'm not currently living in a dictatorship. But this is maybe just me

Well said, my friend!

And one of best friends is German, he lives in Köln. He was a foreign exchange student at my high school, and we've remained friends ever since.

And I think we are all glad that we don't live in dictatorships!

 

[Rhun]

Now if Hitler would have started his major invasion earlier or held thier advance until the spring, thing would have been different, however since he thought he could finish off Stalin before first snow, he got himself pummeled when Stalins winter trained troops became active.

Have you watched the movie Enemy At The Gates? I've always liked it, simply because it shows a different perspective of WW2 than we usually get to see.

 

[HolyMan]

Didn't no about the embargo of oil. But wasn't the presence of US troops in China another factor in the attack of Pearl Harbor (really the excuse they were going to anyway).

Not sure thought it was one of the reasons. I'm sure there was more than one.

HM

 

[Walking Dad]

... People have a tendency to let their governments run amok. ...

Hey, people (as a group) are stupid. They even thought some others were not equal because of skin color or religion or anything.

One can only hope this gets better

 

[Rhun]

Hey, people (as a group) are stupid. They even thought some others were not equal because of skin color or religion or anything.

One can only hope this gets better

Absolutely. And I think it slowly gets better over time. Of course, I'm not sure that "human nature" will ever allow us to live in a world free of war, hatred and bigotry.

 

[Rhun]

Didn't no about the embargo of oil. But wasn't the presence of US troops in China another factor in the attack of Pearl Harbor (really the excuse they were going to anyway).

I know that the USA did provide assistance to China, but I was under the impression it was simply logistical. The best I can find is that the US sent very few troops into China (and what I can find seems to indicate these were sent mid-1942, after Pearl Harbor). :shrug: Of course, who really knows?