Q of the Week - Dresden

[clibinarium]

I'd highly recommend The Fog of War , which is effectively a long interview with Robert McNamara. A lot of it deals with his involvement in and reflections on the use of aerial bombing and atomic weapons in the 20th Century. Lots of food for thought.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8653788864462752804#

[Hurley]

Mr Hurley - you need to look in the mirror and read what you wrote in this discussion and take a serious look at yourself. War is a dreadful thing, and to say civilians deserve all they get??-and all wars are total wars? Have you been a soldier? or been to a country that has had a war where civilians have been mass murdered? hmmmm??? makes me wonder.

Dresden -no war crime - had to be done im afraid (married to a german so I should really watch what Im saying)

Do you know what the statement "total war" means when a country declares it?  I'll put it in one line "All production and efforts will be put toward winning the war" This could be viewed two ways: the aggressor and the victim.

Aggressor: Each and every person in the country is in effect agreeing with the it leadership in killing other people.

Victim: The leadership has decided that it is better to fight on then to surrender.

My view is that each person has a brain and therefor can make up there minds if they want to be part of ether of these options. Just like a lot of people did in WW2. I would ask you this where does the classification of ok to kill end? supply truck driver? Factory worker? cook for the factory worker? butcher for the cook?

I'm not saying hell bomb everyone in any conflict but if you ever find yourself voting or hearing your government talk about war, stop and think about it. Remember what happened in the past to other people could happen to you.

I'm Canadian and a Newfoundlander 17-21, I've never had someone try to kill me. I can look in the mirror and say "I believe in what my country has done and will do, because I'm a part of it. I also take full responsibility for anything it does because I'm Canadian." If you can't look in the mirror and say "I'm glade to be from here" then you have some thinking to do.                   

[17-21l]

Im proud to be British - that much so that I served my country for 23 years!! dont mean I agree with everything she does!! (look at the price of petrol ) . Yes you are correct Canada hasnt had to do much since the war - but what if , lets play with your head, the USA invaded Canada and declared Total War for no reason!  You wouldn't have an option would you? ( could make for a great scenario wargames wise)
People dont tell governments what to do, they do what they wish.  Take it from me Ive seen what little wars do (Bosnia) and that was enough.
as for "leaving a country" if you dont agree! well I beleave 1930's Europe was a totaly different mind set than today. People were very limited in knowledge of other countries etc (" tell you what I dont agree with Herr Hittler - Ill move to England-cant speak the lingo like and cant afford the bus fare!!) people just didnt have the means to just 'up' and go- and why should they??
So only one question to you Mr Hurley - where have you served your Country to see Total War, and then what made the deciding factor that made you beleave it was a good thing 

God save the Queen

[Hurley]

So only one question to you Mr Hurley - where have you served your Country to see Total War, and then what made the deciding factor that made you beleave it was a good thing 

I'm sorry but I don't understand your question.

[17-21l]

No - you probably dont, forget it - and game on

[Luddite]

Im proud to be British - that much so that I served my country for 23 years!!

Where did you serve?

[Ben Waterhouse]

Let's not get personal dudes!

Pax Vobiscum

[Hurley]

I've tried being nice to this gentlemen and I've tried to stay away from using anything but facts and personal opinions. He seems to have some sort of problem with me.


Hurley 

[Leon]

Let's all have a beer, agree to disagree, and get back to painting!

[17-21l]

 Agreed - lets have a beer - i havent got a problem with you at all - I just beleave that people, in general, should think before typing. Your first comment on this topic just bewildered me that someone could think such a thing - hey maybe its just me ?
In regards where Ive served -Germany, Cyprus, Canada, Bosnia , UK, even got to Gib at one point, all the good postings that A Royal Armoured Corps soldier got sent in them there days.
I agree to disagree,  this debate is now at an end, it is a dead debate,

God save the Queen

[Patrick R]

I rank Dresden as a needless tragedy.  Britain (and the Americans) still believed that strategic bombing and flattening cities was a viable strategy to end the war.  The mistaken belief that civilians remaining steady under fire was a uniquely British trait and the Germans were on the verge of revolt and hanging old Hitler for letting him bomb their cities is still believed to this day.

On the other hand there are people who seem to think that because the Allies were "the good guys" they should be blameless and therefore Dresden becomes a war crime.  Not to mention the naziphiles who will feel that Dresden makes up for all the horribly nasty things Hitler and his gang of thugs perpetrated.

Dresden was largely unnecessary.  The only reason why it was picked was because was an attempt by Bomber Command to show that it wasn't useless by this stage of the war and that it could still win major victories (destroying cities) right up to the end.  Dresden was a part of Germany that hadn't been heavily bombed before and it was now in easy range of the bombers.  In a nutshell, BC was still trying to make its mark and showing it was still capable of doing business.