NationStates Jolt Archive

There was a thread on here asking if you liked Germans, and predictably it ended up being locked. One of the comment, I thought interesting though was some one said it was not the Germans that killed the Jews etc but the Nazis.
I would have to disagree it was the Germans, the political party in power at the time were the Nazis but it was normal German people that performed the acts not some other race or beings.
We can say that the Germans of today have nothing to do with those events, but saying that all the acts of WWII were committed by Nazis is like saying the Conservatives won the battle of Britain.
So why this obsession now with saying the Nazi pilots this, the Nazi soldiers that…. They were normal people doing what they either believed to be right or doing what they were told because they did not know better, just like the allies.. The Death camps however were another storey but again ‘normal’ Germans were involved.
So let’s say it was like many periods of other countries histories a shameful period, but it is done and they have moved on.

Err.. something to do with making germans today feel better about themselves probably.

There was a thread on here asking if you liked Germans, and predictably it ended up being locked. One of the comment, I thought interesting though was some one said it was not the Germans that killed the Jews etc but the Nazis.
I would have to disagree it was the Germans, the political party in power at the time were the Nazis but it was normal German people that performed the acts not some other race or beings.
We can say that the Germans of today have nothing to do with those events, but saying that all the acts of WWII were committed by Nazis is like saying the Conservatives won the battle of Britain.
So why this obsession now with saying the Nazi pilots this, the Nazi soldiers that…. They were normal people doing what they either believed to be right or doing what they were told because they did not know better, just like the allies.. The Death camps however were another storey but again ‘normal’ Germans were involved.
So let’s say it was like many periods of other countries histories a shameful period, but it is done and they have moved on.

It was the Nazis who carried out the attrocities - yes, they were Germans, too, but so were most of the Jews they killed - the distinction is very important.

The Nazis weren't just a political party, they were the entire structure of Government, so your comparison with the Conservatives is also wrong. Which, brings me to my next point - we didn't have a Conservative Government - we had a War Coalition.

uhm...i'm not sure any thread about nazi germany will end up not being locked. usually people react in a rather aggressive way when it gets to that topic.

It was the Nazis who carried out the attrocities - yes, they were Germans, too, but so were most of the Jews they killed - the distinction is very important.

The Nazis weren't just a political party, they were the entire structure of Government, so your comparison with the Conservatives is also wrong. Which, brings me to my next point - we didn't have a Conservative Government - we had a War Coalition.
Well yes we did, but we had Churchill and his word was pretty much it. And as he once said when being Criticized for changing parties to become a Conservative ‘It does not matter what nag you take out the stable as long as you win the race’. So we had a Churchill government. Yes my comparison was weak but it was to make a point. I have heard of luftwaffer pilots referred to as Nazis, some may have been but most were normal decent people. If we go down this root can we refer to the Victorian British as Victorians? As they got up to a lot of things around the world we may not want associated with Britain today.

If we go down this root can we refer to the Victorian British as Victorians?

Yes, and we normally do (I very rarely hear anyone say "the Victorian British"). Their attitudes were very different to modern Brits, so simply calling them British is not specific enough. The same goes with calling the Nazis German.

Yes, and we normally do (I very rarely hear anyone say "the Victorian British"). Their attitudes were very different to modern Brits, so simply calling them British is not specific enough. The same goes with calling the Nazis German.
I have to disagree. When we refer to what the British did to the Zulus the world doesn't say the Victorians did this, they say the British.
The same can be said about the British in Australia etc.
And if we a refering to a specific time.. i.e the second world war we only need to refer to the Germans as Germans, we refer to the Itialians as Italians...keep saying Nazi spacks to me of over the Top PC. But that's my opinion and I'm happy for you to disagree.

not all the germanies was nazies. some minorities groups as homosexuals,blacks and jewish people was germanies until hitler decide to kill them.
and their are un-german peoples who help germany in her crimes so you can't they taht this is just germany's fault.

otherwise if you call them only nazis you make a service to germany because you turn her to not guilty at the milions of people she destructe and dozens of nations she take at that war.

so, make me a favor and call them "nazis germanies".

I think Americans are pretty nuetral about discriminating against Germans, but I know if you go into Holland - you won't find anyone who likes Germans, and yeah it's because of the wars. Some people forgive but others never forget.

I'd say that everyone in general points blame on the people of a country before they point the blame at that country's government.

not all the germanies was nazies. some minorities groups as homosexuals,blacks and jewish people was germanies until hitler decide to kill them.
and their are un-german peoples who help germany in her crimes so you can't they taht this is just germany's fault.

otherwise if you call them only nazis you make a service to germany because you turn her to not guilty at the milions of people she destructe and dozens of nations she take at that war.

so, make me a favor and call them "nazis germanies".
i agree

when the nazis came to power it didnt take long for the average german to find out that opposing them had very bad consequences. so many germans just shut up and kept their heads down.

when the holocaust started there were non-jewish, non-gypsy, non-gay germans who stood up to them. they were killed. its not like NOW when you can disagree with the governments policies for your whole adult life and work to change the government you dont agree with. if you opposed the nazis too publicly you were exterminated with the rest of the "undesirables"

even though the nazi government seemed wildly popular with the average "white" german, (and i suppose there were aspects of the strength of the militarism that was always popular) there is no way to know how those average people really felt about the atrocities being committed against their neighbors. to survive, they had to ignore it. to speak up was to die.

in any case that IS over now. todays germans are no better or worse than any people in the world. its wrong to hold todays germans responsible for things that were done before they were born.

but I know if you go into Holland - you won't find anyone who likes Germans
I never noticed that.