I’m reading about WWII and the uprising of the leaders during that time in Europe. And I am getting frustrated with the opinions of the writer. Now I am not saying that his opinions are not possibly accurate … but the book is written so that one cannot make their own opinion or even see if they have an opinion because the facts are written in a way that leads one away from the facts.
I have done some study or been drawn to the history of WWII because there were such huge discrepancies in what I was taught in school. I was taught and in this current book still being taught, that Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler were awful evil (it even says “evil” in the History book) men.
Okay sure the acts are pretty damn messed up … but what led to this? These so called “evil” men were loved … loved in their countries … other countries including the United States supported them. People died “for” Hitler not just because of Hitler. What made everyone turn and run in the other direction all of a sudden and re-write (it appears) history because they didn’t want to be linked with him once they found out what he/they were doing … but History completely wipes out why he was doing what he was doing and why so many were happy to go along with the ride for so long. The entire European WWII is blamed on 3 men?
Not a bit of sense.
History has and is lying to us in leaving out the small details that make a big picture and one that we will not learn from. We can make ourselves hate anyone … look what happened in the World Trade Center Bombings, arabs (all) immediately became the enemy, the same when Japan attacked, but the focus is steered away from “why” they attacked…why do they dislike us so? Instead we just imprison and kill people and everyone is just a happy to go back to night, night until the next time? We haven’t looked at the root.
How do we know we are not electing these men again? If we don’t know why they were loved? Why those actions were accepted? Women committed suicide with their children not to live in a world without Hitler … that is how crazy it was. This was a very charismatic man/men … of their era.
On page 917, it is written in the authors beliefs (am led to assume) that Stalin actually committed the murder of Sergei Kirov … how is this allowed … even if Stalin is the crappiest person in the universe how can a book be written that teaches us about the history of the world; practically convict Stalin of a murder without him ever going to trial? Isn’t that slander of the highest level? How can we say things like this about people in our History books that we are teaching each others about the world (especially since it is our young minds we are teaching this to) and just put in whatever we feel suits the way we view the history.
Am I the only frustrated one? If I am going to learn … I would like to learn about un-opinionated history … what really lead to the Germans to hating the Jews so much that they would do such things. Not just Germans but humans … in general humans in history (and today).
I had friends that cheered the death of Osama Bin Laden … I am not saying anything about him and what he did … I don’t actually believe that people are told the truth about anything anymore not enough truth to make a decision a rational, educated decision on whether someone should die. But he did die and the people that were cheering didn’t seem any different to me than people portrayed in a witch hunt of the dark ages. To have pleasure in another man’s death … a man that was loved by his people, his family, even if he did horrible things … the people who killed him … how is that different. Osama Bin Laden’s family may hate them just as much and then all that is learned from any of it … is hate.
It’s not about right and wrong … what is done is done … but is this the world we really want? Where we just kill to solve everything?
Thank God Gandhi is in History Books. There are other ways of doing things … and the few cannot rule the many, unless the many are willing to be ruled.
I’d just like to know some facts about historical events, without labels like “evil” and then showing a picture (pg. 920) of a man (Hitler) smiling with a little boy and all the men in the background smiling … sort of looks like most presidential elections.
I am not saying that any of the current candidates are Hitler but we cannot be too blind … because Hitler was a good man saving people from financial ruin and poverty and despair…until people said he wasn’t.
Grrrrrr.
Nothing To Learn 