6 Million people died in the Holocaust, and somebody did something. , page 3

Originally posted by Kanati
For the most part you are correct. What puzzles me, is why so many polarize what Germany did. What happened was beyond terrible. But, we need look no further than our own history to see the tapestry of wickedness we have weaved. We have everyone beat, hands down. Yet, a majority of "Americans" don't look down upon the homeland for the 10's of millions that were killed throughout history right here. But Germany, history tells us they were demons in the flesh, and that we the US should stand behind Israel for the wickedness that they endured. Yet, in the same breath let the Native Americans go to waste. I have yet to figure that one out. Its time for Americans to admit we have just as much dirt under our nails as most everyone else, and quit looking down our nose at other nations because of their history.

The history of oppression of the native Americans and the exploitation of the land and resources of the US is shared by many countries. The initial damage was caused by the Spanish, the Portugese, the British, French and the Dutch. For that reason there is a lack of a collective sense of responsibility. There is always someone else to point at and say that they were worse than you. It is the same with the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the appalling legacy of that trade.

It seems to me that there is an inherent nature to much of the US population, a need to look down on someone else. When the Irish came in droves it was the Irish who sat at the bottom, then the Chinese, then the Jews, then the Poles, then the Vietnamese and the Mexicans...there always has to be someone at the bottom, those who are elevated and supplanted in the gutter by the new 'scum of society' then go on to pass the misery they experienced back down. And so it seems to perpetuate right through the 'white' history of the country.

A generalisation of course. I was interested in a thread recently asking members where they were from, most of the Americans who contributed qualified themselves with their original european (or otherwise) heritage. I found that quite illuminating, that most don't feel simply being an American is good enough.

In terms of US/German relations go, up until US involvement in the war most of the US was divided on 'which side' to take. Many Germans had emigrated to the US after the first war, a significant proportion of those were recruited by the Abwehr to spy for Germany. Just a Britain recruited agents sympathetic to their aims and the 'Communists' theirs. They were all able to do this because of the lack of fealty to their new homeland . Whether they still hankered for the Fatherland or homeland or were embittered by the way they were being treated in their new home is debateable. Does seem as though the US needs to have someone to hate, at home and abroad. Generally, I by no intend to apply this everyone. And, other countries foster the same divisions too.