Germany vs The Sunday Times

The Beer Baron

I figured this was more suited to here than in politics. Regarding another objective article in the Sunday Times- British journalism- best in the world :rolleyes:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-833416,00.html

THE German president, Johannes Rau, has accused Britain of giving in to Adolf Hitler’s territorial demands and likened the subsequent suffering of exiled Germans to the fate of the Jews.

Whilst I applaud the Times' ability to deplore his comments on almost a subliminal level (and utilise the comments of others to do their dirty work) I must confess they have a long way to go to actually tackling the issue in a responsible manner.

They might as well have saved on ink and said "yeah but the Holocaust so nyaah!" Because rather than taking any of his comments on board they simply shot them down with the "6 million" card.
(The article left me thinking that perhaps a few posters over in Politics (myself included) should work for the Times! )

But Rau's comments wasn't on was the plight of non-Germans, he never once said that it was better or worse than that of the German Jews- he simply wished for the rest of Europe to recognise their suffering. I guess after over half a century, at a time where Europe shares common laws, currency and ambitions- he thought the time might be right- but evidently he was wrong.

Naturally Chamberlain's "Policy of Appeasement" is a sore spot for Britons. Certainly they don't like to admit that they, The Great Empire, was frightened of Hitler. More so, they really don't wish to waste too much time mentioning the amount of English people that were supporters of him- at least up until 1939.

The Times article only skims the surface, of course, sidesteps such issues as the firebombing of Dresden (mentions a book on it as an example of the German "victim culture") and, it seems, will not dare to acknowledge the suffering of another people as valid because it is below the demarcation point of 6 million. (Or possibly because they're German- I don't know)

Many German commentators reacted angrily to the 1996 book Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust, in which Daniel Goldhagen, an American academic, pinned the blame for Nazi atrocities on the population as a whole.

And why shouldn't they?
I think Germany has the right to voice such opinions and they should do so without humility. Do they really think that every German man secretly stands in front of his mirror raising his arm in salute?

Or are The Times simply wishing to corner the the medal-polishing, moustache sporting old Generals that they seem to be.

"Ah Good Morning Major!"
"Say have you read the Times this morning Fawl-tay?!"

I mean WTF?
wondering what your comments may be.

(Oh and incidentally- no I don't write for the Guardian )

mike65

BB the Times and the Sunday Times are actually seperate papers
they just happen to be owned by the same company and share part of a title...regarding Chamberlians embarrassing and wrongheaded captiulation to Adolf I think you'll find few Brits
would pretend it was'nt as bad as it was or that it should be overlooked. Not that one would want it "highlighted" to often either of course but thats human nature....as regards the supposed "nah-nah we won the war - you killed six million Jews" mentality well thats what happnes when you have winners and loosers and the loosers were part of something unique in its wholesale mechanical scale. Its not admirable just human nature
again....

Mike.