Posted by
Rick on Thursday, March 29, 2007 6:13:21 PM
My tiny brain put this posting together a little more than two years ago, and it has sat in the inbox for one of my accounts ever since.
Enjoy.
When you think back to the attitudes that prevailed in pre-war Europe
prior to the rise of Naziism and Hitler in Germany, it can only lead you
to realize that the leaders then and now share the same "devil may care"
attitude.
Most of Europe turned a blind eye to Hitler's efforts to strengthen
Germany's military, much like most of Europe recently turned a blind eye
to Saddam's strengthening of his military might. Chances are that most
of the former Iraqi might now resides in neighboring countries, like
Syria - perhaps even Iran. Let's not forget the Persians!
People today still wonder in amazement about how Hitler came to power
more than 70 years ago. They need only look east! The European
continent is awash in this same "devil may care" attitude, and some of
it has washed up on shore here among our "intelligentsia."
As they are wont, these people, aided with hindsight binoculars and
microscopes, are amazed when they study Hitler's rise to power. Yet,
they can't see the same attirude alive and kicking among the European
leadership today.
It was this "devil may care" attitude that allowed Hitler to send the
Jews to the gas chambers. The leaders just thought to themselves, "Who
cares about the Jews? They are slum dwellars anyway!"
As a grandson of one of those slum dwellars who left from Europe long
before Naziism took hold, this attitude offends me. We are told now
that giving freedom to oppressed people is a mistake! How in the world
can anyone be so near-sighted as to believe that?
Did anyone give us our freedom in the late 17th century? Nope! People
like these have existed all throughout time! They were hedging their
bets during the American revolution in case GW stumbled or Corwallis
got lucky!
A more recent example of this "devil may care" attitude was that
exhibited by the media while Elian Gonzalez was still living in Miami.