So he just wrote the name by accident, huh? Actually, he insisted with another question that had nothing to do with the thread, which I answered and THEN commented that I thought it was unnecessary and stupid to discuss that in THIS thread. THEN he apparently had his little feelings hurt and had to come back with another little inflammatory guest appearance to a thread to which he had otherwise not contributed anything. Yeah. Now let's just wait for the "lunatic fringe liberals" to show up here and say they would rather vote for Mickey Mouse than for Bush...then this thread really needs to get moved to the Dungeon .
The only people who can't understand it are narrow-minded Germans like yourself. I would venture Behad and anyone else who has a CLUE about American history would know it. And you call yourself a lawyer?? Guess they don't teach reading comprehension skills or analogies, do they, Jackie? I guess that is something else that the US is better than Germany at - law schools, lol. Why are you so f*cking nosy? Why are you such a f*cking *******? Why is it so IMPORTANT to you to share to everyone here a trip around the world that no one gave a f*cking fart about?? But, hey you pegged me, Jackie!! Oh whoa is me as I will have a very sleepless night, tonight!
Wow. Where have I been? In terms of "best" Germans, there are countless possibilities. Many contemporaries don't realize that the Germans were perhaps the most influencial groundbreakers in modern philosophy and theological study. This may seem insignificant now, but a case can easily be made that the Guttenberg Bible had a much greater impact on breaking down power structures and leading the way to responbible government than either the Magna Carta or the Declaration of Ind. In terms of modern philosophy, the Germans simply dominate it's early movement. In terms of political impact, you have Marx, Bizmark, Barbarossa ( BTW. someone mentioned the fact that he was Holy Roman Emperor as though that were surprising; virtually all Holy Roman Emperors were Germans, especially after what is now Germany was called the Holy Roman Empire), and others... Marx should not be demonized, merely because we fought a Cold War against people who sort of used his ideas. He was a great mind, and what he strove to achieve, while possibly flawed, was an ideal that, if possible, would make a better world. Lastly the whole Hitler issue. I think that there are several points on this. One, and that which SJC was trying to stress, is that no country in the world is as aware of the devastation Hitler caused as Germany. No country is as educated and made constantly aware of this period of history. Imagine that we could attribute slavery to one man, or the genocide of the natives. Then imagine that it wasn't something we brushed off as long ago, and of which the outside world constantly blamed and reminded us about. On the other hand, Hitler did accomplish amazing things in a very short time, and at least part of his appeal and strength was derived from a position in which he was morally correct; the victimization of the common German by the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was as low as anation can get, and Hitler gave them back their sense of pride and dignity, although we now know it was at an unthinkable price. So German recollections towards Hitler, while as negative or more than those of an outsider, considering the moral price Germany has had to pay ever since beciase of him, are also a little complicated by having a slightlly broader graps of what Hitler represented besides genocide. That may seem silly, but look at how we brush off aspects of our Founding Fathers and slaves, etc. And unlike the FF's, Germany has not forgiven Hitler because of the positives, they are merely aware of them more than you or I. But to suggest that he is brushed under the carpet, or glorified in general are each grave disservices to the German people's awareness and national conscience. It should also be noted that fascism was not only not a German invention ( Italian) but was extremely popular throughout most of the industrial world prior to WWII, ncluding in the USA and Britain. When Hitler was Time's Man of the Year, it wasn't for notoriety, but because he was the most popular global leader at the time at home and abroad. Just like our role in arming Germany, avoiding helping fight Hitler, or turning away Holocaust victims, we tend to sweep this under the carpet.
Look, Manny, I am not mad at you. I actually feel sorry that because of my argument with others, you got involved. I am also sorry that I obviously made you very angry, that was not my intention. My beef was with someone else, and you just happened to jump in the way. Sorry that you had to make that last post, I don't think that was necessary and I feel bad that I provoked it, that was not intended.
Follow-Up Post. Above post was made after reading intitial arguments, and after reading how heated this got, I'm not sure I'd have gotten involved, not because I avoid debate ( ), but because this isn't the Forum, and because of the people involved.
Well, I am sorry, too but I don't like being pigeonholed by someone who hasn't even met me to know what I am really like. And I tend to take generalizations like the ones you made about me pretty personally, but I shouldn't have posted what I did, but it is too late now. It is time for me to accept the consequences whatever they may be.
That was at least as much my fault as it was yours, I just did not really foresee that you would get so angry, or I would not have addressed you at all. Obviously, I was angry because someone else made what I thought were unnecessary inflammatory remarks, and I guess you just wanted to help out and actually mediate, but as it often is when there is a fistfight, the one that tries to break it up actually gets hit. I hope some moderator can edit/delete parts of your post and it shouldn't be a problem.
Manny... While in general I am opposed to varying rules for individuals, I think if anyone in here deserves a Mulligan when it comes to being respectfull of other posters, it's you. I suspect that the powers that be might concur.
