What are your favorite moments/figures in history?

[JJJ's Ulcer]

In American history at least, 9/11 would be the biggest event certainly since the JFK assassination and perhaps bigger, considering the ramifications were much larger and longer-lasting.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Helps that JFK really was a lightweight.

It will be some time until America recovers from 9/11. The whole country is suffering from post-traumatic stress. Hard to say when that'll end. Maybe once politicians stop wearing those silly flag lapel pins to show how patriotic they are, or once they stop calling America "the homeland".

Oh or possibly when we can bring a big gulp on airplanes again.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I believe it was Hunter S Thompson who put it best when he said America had a collective nervous breakdown after 9/11.

I don't think the no-Big-Gulps-on-planes rule is because the airline industry is necessarily scared, but just to make sure they're not liable for any eventuality no matter how remote. They're in such dire straits they can't deal with another mass airline attack and so for them denying us drinks through security is as easy as deciding to make the coach seats another half-inch smaller every year.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

People were shell shocked from 9-11 for only a couple years but the government has been milking 9-11 as much as possible for the last 12 years (War on Terror, Iraq War).

 

[Thundercrack85]

Well it is a representative democracy, the fact that the ridiculously named patriot act is still in force, says it all.

Just look at Boston. Two idiot brothers set off some crudely made bombs, and the entire city is put under martial law, with no one protesting.

It's insanity. Scary to think what could happen if there is ever another real large-scale attack. Decades of emergency law and the suspension of the constitution?

 

[Venom75]

Has anyone ever heard of the massacre at Ramree Island during World War 2? Pretty chilling stuff.

http://wwarii.com/blog/archives/death-in-the-swamps-of-ramree/

 

[Hobgoblin]

That...certainly sounds unpleasant.

A slightly less graphic description of war.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It's Napoleon. If anyone was wondering what caused all those explosions in the early 1800's.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Also... Germans, just wow. Good thing they got it all out of their system.

Hopefully.

 

[Hobgoblin]

I dont like that the video is so Euro-Centric. It leaves out a lot, like the Vietnam War and seems to trivialize the American Civil War. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the CW but it is hardly mentioned.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Eh... turnabout is fair play. Now Americans know how other people feel when they paint history in videos or whatnot as overly Ameri-centric. Which we do allllllll the time.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Yeah... Japan had quite a few conflicts, that all seem to be ignored, not to mention China. You'd think going by this that Africa and South America were some kind of utopia.

But all the explosions in the 20th century, just wow.

And people wonder why the aliens don't just land...

 

[Hobgoblin]

Eh... turnabout is fair play. Now Americans know how other people feel when they paint history in videos or whatnot as overly Ameri-centric. Which we do allllllll the time.

Touche, Sir.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I definitely saw some explosions in Central and South America around the 1500's when the conquistadors came rampaging through. And I saw some explosions in Japan (although strangely Korea had none, even though most of the battles were fought there and not in Japan). And the American Civil War had some explosions, but yes they were smaller proportionally than they should have been. The Vietnam war is a BIG omission. And of course this is only RECORDED battles, so a lot of tribal wars in Africa and the Americas are ignored. The video is not perfect by any means, but still interesting.

 

[Venom75]

From the few pieces I've read concerning Japan and WW2,they seemed to be more brutal and commited more atrocities that either the Nazis or Soviet Union.

 

[Thundercrack85]

From the few pieces I've read concerning Japan and WW2,they seemed to be more brutal and commited more atrocities that either the Nazis or Soviet Union.

The Japanese were pretty terrible. The main difference is that unlike the Germans, the Japanese don't acknowledge most of their atrocities, or downplay them, which explains why relations between Japan and its neighbors (well, technically it's an island, so I should say nearby countries) are still rather bad.

The Japanese war crimes were so bad, the full extent may never be known.

Arguably there's also some racism involved in this. The West obviously didn't care as much as atrocities in China, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines, etc, as much as they did in Europe, and covered them considerably less.

 

[Venom75]

The Japanese were pretty terrible. The main difference is that unlike the Germans, the Japanese don't acknowledge most of their atrocities, or downplay them, which explains why relations between Japan and its neighbors (well, technically it's an island, so I should say nearby countries) are still rather bad.

The Japanese war crimes were so bad, the full extent may never be known.

Arguably there's also some racism involved in this. The West obviously didn't care as much as atrocities in China, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines, etc, as much as they did in Europe, and covered them considerably less.

I've always found that completely unfair,that the Germans have always bore the brunt of the crimes committed during the war. Now,the Nazis were far from innocent,but what about Japan? Yes,there were trials for Japanese war criminals,but as you've stated,the West(or the Allies)just glanced over this. Despite Japan committing crimes that would make Satan blush. Italy's Fascist leaders,as far I know,never really went on trial either. Although it seems there was more vigilante justice in that case. And my beef is especially with Russia. They helped start the war by invading Poland,and also attacked Finland as well as other Eastern nations. Plus,as we all know Stalin killed millions more than Hitler ever did in his own camps. The British and American leaders(more FDR than anyone else)let alot of Russia's crimes go unpunished just to defeat Germany. The Allies liberated countries,the Russians conquered them. But even with the British/United States there were several war crimes. The bombing of Dresden and the atomic bombs come to mind.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

From the few pieces I've read concerning Japan and WW2,they seemed to be more brutal and commited more atrocities that either the Nazis or Soviet Union.

I don't know, man. They were all horrible in different ways. I do know the Japanese imperial army had a contest sponsored by a newspaper that would award whichever soldier could chop off the most Chinese civilian heads. They saw other Asian people as racially inferior, much in the same way German Aryans viewed Eastern Europeans. My girlfriend is Korean and pretty much hates the Japanese. She wouldn't even see 'Wolverine' with me because it takes place in Japan.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I don't know, man. They were all horrible in different ways. I do know the Japanese imperial army had a contest sponsored by a newspaper that would award whichever soldier could chop off the most Chinese civilian heads. They saw other Asian people as racially inferior, much in the same way German Aryans viewed Eastern Europeans. My girlfriend is Korean and pretty much hates the Japanese. She wouldn't even see 'Wolverine' with me because it takes place in Japan.

As a person of Hong Kong-Chinese descent, I can sympathize. Although the trillions of dollars in trade between Japan and China and South Korea tells me that we should put the past behind us to some extent.

However, the lack of responsibility that Japan, as a government, nation and culture, bears about WW2 really prevents me from fully enjoying many aspects of their culture, especially those that are often discussed on these boards. It makes me acutely aware of the Japanese science fiction and anime that has a WW2-Japan-as-victim theme (Godzilla, Grave of the Fireflies, Akira). I love the Macross saga, but I am aware that it is maybe one step away from being a hate crime.

 

[OstrichsRevenge]

I've always found that completely unfair,that the Germans have always bore the brunt of the crimes committed during the war. Now,the Nazis were far from innocent,but what about Japan? Yes,there were trials for Japanese war criminals,but as you've stated,the West(or the Allies)just glanced over this. Despite Japan committing crimes that would make Satan blush. Italy's Fascist leaders,as far I know,never really went on trial either. Although it seems there was more vigilante justice in that case. And my beef is especially with Russia. They helped start the war by invading Poland,and also attacked Finland as well as other Eastern nations. Plus,as we all know Stalin killed millions more than Hitler ever did in his own camps. The British and American leaders(more FDR than anyone else)let alot of Russia's crimes go unpunished just to defeat Germany. The Allies liberated countries,the Russians conquered them. But even with the British/United States there were several war crimes. The bombing of Dresden and the atomic bombs come to mind.

I agree with this. I'm German and it always bugged me how Germany was forced to take blame for WW1 when everyone involved had a reason for wanting the war to start. But the Germans took the blame, and then paid off the reparations. I've been called a Nazi for just being German and it seems to be the only thing people focus on when I tell them I'm German. Not that Germany has one of the best economies in Europe, or that they're masters of engineering and organization, or that their cars are (arguably) the best in the world. Nope, being a German means you're a Nazi.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I've been called a Nazi for just being German and it seems to be the only thing people focus on when I tell them I'm German.

If anybody still says that to you, tell them that I told them to go **** themselves to death.

 

[OstrichsRevenge]

If anybody still says that to you, tell them that I told them to go **** themselves to death.

I will!

I had a group of guys follow me around the high school one day doing the Nazi salute. I had to hide in the bathroom until they finally dispersed. I kept telling them there might be Jewish kids who wouldn't appreciate their humour, but that didn't seem to faze them.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I will!

I had a group of guys follow me around the high school one day doing the Nazi salute. I had to hide in the bathroom until they finally dispersed. I kept telling them there might be Jewish kids who wouldn't appreciate their humour, but that didn't seem to faze them.

Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking? I'm guessing it's not Germany, where that's illegal.

 

[Venom75]

I'm part German and part Italian,and because of my huge interest in Adolf Hitler and World war 2 I've had people (jokingly)give me the Nazi salute. It's never really bothered me but I do work in a store with alot of jews there,so I tell people to be careful as well. But I always joke and say that "part of me wants to start a war,but the other half doesn't want to fight it. " t:

 

[hippie_hunter]

As a person of Hong Kong-Chinese descent, I can sympathize. Although the trillions of dollars in trade between Japan and China and South Korea tells me that we should put the past behind us to some extent.

However, the lack of responsibility that Japan, as a government, nation and culture, bears about WW2 really prevents me from fully enjoying many aspects of their culture, especially those that are often discussed on these boards. It makes me acutely aware of the Japanese science fiction and anime that has a WW2-Japan-as-victim theme (Godzilla, Grave of the Fireflies, Akira). I love the Macross saga, but I am aware that it is maybe one step away from being a hate crime.

That's the biggest problem right there with Japan's image across Asia. If they actually accepted the responsibility of what their nation did during World War II the way Germany has, Japan would be much better liked in the region IMO.

However, even modern day Japan has some notoriously racist elements attached to it so I don't see them accepting responsibility for quite some time.