Friday, June 06, 2008
D-Day - We must Remember
Today, June 6, is the 64th anniversary of D-Day, the day on which the Invasion of Normandy began. The purpose of this massive military effort was to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation in World War II.
Too often today, in our schools, this successful effort to free millions of people from the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler and his German machine, is ignored and the focus morphs to a guilt trip. The idea no longer discussed is where would we be today if the German/Japanese Axis had won? We would be speaking German or Japanese. Open schools for all - no. Racial advances - no. Concepts of free thought, ideas, real choice would not exist. Neither the Nazis nor the Japanese (who at the time believed their emperor was a direct descendant of the gods) would have tolerated what we today take for granted. If you question this, check here, here, here, and here for the real atrocities conducted in Nazi concentration camps and Japanese prisoner of war camps.
Freedom is not free. When free nations are attacked from within or without, there are times they must fight back. Those who oppose fighting at all costs are usually people who have never lacked freedom. They have no clue as to how ruthless and dogmatic dictators can get; how barbaric some societies still are. Though WWII was a war that would hopefully end all wars, the military defeat of the Axis powers, coupled with their unconditional surrender, did not take into account societies outside the two major fighting groups: Germany, Japan (with help from some Arab nations), and Italy versus the Brits, Americans (with help from the French resistance, Canada and Australia).
This omission resulted in the western thinking of today: peace at any cost; a naive belief that the UN, dominated by dictators who could care less about freedom and choice, actually want to help people; a blindness to existing societies that discriminate against women, dark-skinned peoples, and still rule via military thuggery. A culture of pacifism, which has always existed, gets far more press today. "If only..." my view of the world could be forced on all others, all would be fine. Ignored is the fact that there are people who will never agree with my "if only..." view.
The WWII soldiers fought to keep freedom. Without this ability to live where one can create, think, and express ideas without fear for life, progress comes to a grinding halt. Humans will revert to their most basic state - fighting.
We who are the children of the greatest generation, the group that saved the world from dominance by the Germans and Japanese, must remember the D-Day Invasion - it led to the longest period of peace and prosperity for so many hundreds of millions of people ever.
Thank you, WWII vets, especially D-Day veterans and families.
Too often today, in our schools, this successful effort to free millions of people from the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler and his German machine, is ignored and the focus morphs to a guilt trip. The idea no longer discussed is where would we be today if the German/Japanese Axis had won? We would be speaking German or Japanese. Open schools for all - no. Racial advances - no. Concepts of free thought, ideas, real choice would not exist. Neither the Nazis nor the Japanese (who at the time believed their emperor was a direct descendant of the gods) would have tolerated what we today take for granted. If you question this, check here, here, here, and here for the real atrocities conducted in Nazi concentration camps and Japanese prisoner of war camps.
Freedom is not free. When free nations are attacked from within or without, there are times they must fight back. Those who oppose fighting at all costs are usually people who have never lacked freedom. They have no clue as to how ruthless and dogmatic dictators can get; how barbaric some societies still are. Though WWII was a war that would hopefully end all wars, the military defeat of the Axis powers, coupled with their unconditional surrender, did not take into account societies outside the two major fighting groups: Germany, Japan (with help from some Arab nations), and Italy versus the Brits, Americans (with help from the French resistance, Canada and Australia).
This omission resulted in the western thinking of today: peace at any cost; a naive belief that the UN, dominated by dictators who could care less about freedom and choice, actually want to help people; a blindness to existing societies that discriminate against women, dark-skinned peoples, and still rule via military thuggery. A culture of pacifism, which has always existed, gets far more press today. "If only..." my view of the world could be forced on all others, all would be fine. Ignored is the fact that there are people who will never agree with my "if only..." view.
The WWII soldiers fought to keep freedom. Without this ability to live where one can create, think, and express ideas without fear for life, progress comes to a grinding halt. Humans will revert to their most basic state - fighting.
We who are the children of the greatest generation, the group that saved the world from dominance by the Germans and Japanese, must remember the D-Day Invasion - it led to the longest period of peace and prosperity for so many hundreds of millions of people ever.
Thank you, WWII vets, especially D-Day veterans and families.
Labels: American Heroes, Freedom, US Soldiers, veterans
