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Originally Posted by plant-pilot I agree, what's gone wrong in the past should be studied and lessons learned and not forgotten.
But there is somewhere a line that can be crossed. That point where you look at the life and work of a dictator or regime and it is no longer through the eyes of an enthusiast, historian or student. You go over the line and you can start to hold your subject in awe. It's once you pass that line that you can cease to be an enthisiast, historian or student and can become a fanatic.
A fanatic will look at historic truth and form it around what has happened in order to fit their ideas, making excuses if you will, if not to excuse at least to give reason. It's a short step from there to condoning actions and supporting the polotics.
That is the damger, although I'd hope most people were intelligent enough to see the line approaching. | Theres a line??????? Darn! "walks off whistling "Horst Wessel"!!!
Seriously thought Plant-Pilot is right. Enthusiasm and Fanaticism should not be confused.
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"The Eastern front is like a house of cards. If the front is broken through at one point all the rest will collapse."
- General Heinz Guderian
"With amazement and disappointment, we discovered in late October and early November that the beaten Russians seemed quite unaware that as a military force they had almost ceased to exist."
- General Blumentritt
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen me fight so hard."
Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich - Commander of II SS Panzer Korps - (Commenting on the British Paratroopers at Arnhem) - September 1944
"Had Clark given more heed to Juin's views...the savage battles of Cassino would probably never have been fought and the venerable house of St Benedict would have been unscathed"
Rudolf Böhmler - 1st Fallschirmjäger Division - 1944 (After the bombing of Monte Cassino) |