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Although I know from your comment history that the question is unlikely to be genuine: you do have a point that many Germans like to forget that the entire poin
by hnbad 5y ago
Although I know from your comment history that the question is unlikely to be genuine: you do have a point that many Germans like to forget that the entire point of the Eastern Front was to create "Lebensraum" (living space), which meant depopulation (either via deportations or mass executions). Especially the Slavic population was considered "sub-human".
That said, most Germans aren't even consciously aware Germany ever had colonies or what that meant. The awareness of war crimes in WW2 is much more widespread, despite the concerted post-war effort to shift the blame away from the Wehrmacht (both by Germans and by the Western Allies who benefited from West Germany not purging its entire military as Europe entered the Cold War).
Without necessarily understanding every nuance and knowing of every single war crime Germany committed during WW2, Germans in general and the German government specifically have spent more than seven decades acknowledging the Third Reich's wrongdoings and contributing financial aid to various forms of reparation. Germans and their government have done no such thing for Africa: the exploitation and massacre of Africans is barely even taught in history classes.
- zpeti 5y agoFair enough, but that doesn’t answer my main point that history is full of really bad things, 99% of which no one has ever been held to account for (btw, why would we, no one is alive any more, so unless you believe in collective guilt it’s hard to blame anyone). As an Eastern European who’s countries been fucked over countless times, these reparation discussions are bordering on insulting.
- hnbad 5y ago"Bad things happened to me and nobody talked about that so why should people talk to you just because bad things happened to you too" is not enlightened rationality, it's just spite. It actually sounds like you have been the victim of injustices but feel disgust towards other victims of injustices because you don't want to be thought of as a victim. This is a perfectly normal reaction, but you might want to talk to a therapist. I'm not saying this to insult you. Mental health is a seriously overlooked issue and many people avoid seeking professional help because they don't want to be seen as vulnerable, even if it ruins their lives. EDIT: Interesting that someone would read the first paragraph and conclude that I'm talking about personal beliefs. Or accusing me of calling people "mentally ill", which literally reinforces my point of people avoiding therapy for its stigma.
- Glavnokoman 5y agoSo the people who do not share your beliefs should be treated by therapist? That's a serious claim you know...
- zpeti 5y agoIts worse, people who don’t want to think of themselves as victims, and want to just move on should see a therapist as they are mentally ill. This sums up the west nicely as of 2021.